A man walks past a boarded-up store painted with “I Voted” signs in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The deadline to register to vote in California may have passed, but that does not mean you cannot vote in the upcoming election.
In California, the deadline to register is 15 days before the election; however, the Same-Day Voter Registration process can be completed in the remaining 14 days leading all the way up to Election Day. Additionally, college students are granted the choice on where to register, either their home state or where they reside in California. USC students can vote in Los Angeles by using their local address.
Dylan Gatua, a sophomore majoring in computer engineering and computer science who is registered to vote, said, “If you have a problem with what’s going on in the world, you should try and make an impact on that.”
Freshman Sadie Duca, a music production major, is not registered to vote but believes that students who have not registered yet should use the Same-Day Voter Registration process.
“That is something I’d be interested in. … I’m going to get on that,” she said.
Lack of voter registration information is not a problem Duca faces alone. Sophia Valdez, a sophomore majoring in Spanish who is also not registered to vote, believes in the importance of registering.
Valdez comes from an immigrant family who is not familiar with the voting process and said that she thinks voter information accessibility is crucial.
“Learning about how you can do it so late in the game is really good,” she said.
How to vote after registration closes
Students interested in registration after the deadline can do so at early voting locations. The closest spots to campus are the Masjid Omar ibn Al-Khattab, open October 29 to November 7 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the Vermont Avenue Elementary School Auditorium, open November 5 to 7 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both locations are within walking distance or free Lyft zone that are available after 6p.m.
You can find the closest place to register based on your address or zip code here.
Once at the locations, you need the last four digits of your social security number, your date of birth, and a California driver license or California identification card number if you have one. If you do not have a California identification card, you should bring your social security card and be prepared to tell them your full name, date of birth, and address. After same-day voter registration, you can vote right away or wait until Election Day. Polls open on Nov. 8 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Resources on campus include VoteUSC headed by USC Political Student Assembly (PSA), the USC Center for the Political Future, and the Unruh Institute of Politics. VoteUSC’s website provides guides, information and resources aiming at making voting more accessible to students.
For any questions about voting or to report fraud, you can call the Secretary of State’s Voter Hotline at (800) 345- 8683.
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