Karla Sorto
There are only 12 days left to register to vote by the Oct. 20 deadline and 29 days until the Nov. 4 presidential election.
Many students have not registered to vote because they have not had information on what they need to do in order to register, or where to go to register.
Andrea Chua, a 19-year-old liberal arts major, is one of those unsure students.
“I haven’t registered yet because I really don’t know the steps into registering or where to go,” he said.
It is important to know where to go and what to do upon arrival.
The county of Los Angeles has set up voting-registration booths at places such as post offices, Department of Motor Vehicles locations and local high schools.
The eligibility requirements to vote, according to George Miranda of the L.A. County Registrar, include being at least 18 years old, a United States citizen, a Californian resident and must not be currently convicted of a felony or on parole.
If the above requirements are met, a student can register to vote as soon as possible, since it is crucial to register on time.
It is not possible to register and vote on the same day. It takes approximately seven days to receive a voter-acknowledgment card in the mail.
“Registering to vote, as well as voting, can be real scary. Once you get the hang of it, it’s very easy,” said 20-year-old student worker Liliana Flores. “Just know that it’s important for us young people to vote. We too have the power to make a difference in our future.”
At polling places and booths, there will be volunteers to assist with any unanswered questions, according to Miranda.
Web sites including Rock the Vote and MySpace have provided links to users directing them to registration forms. The forms must be printed, signed and mailed to the local address provided.
“MySpace can now be used for important things like voting,” said first-time voter Elizabeth Chavez, 18. “It’s really cool because they even have video clips of the debates that have been going on and they also provide common questions that we might have.”
If for any reason registering can not be done before the Oct. 20 deadline, L.A. County will host a “midnight madness” event during which they will set up booths in six different locations at midnight Oct. 20. There, people can register to vote shortly past deadline.
“I’m so excited that I’m going to be able to vote in such an important and controversial election,” Chavez said.
More information on where or how to register is available at the L.A. County Web site, www.lavote.net. Rock the Vote information can be found at www.rockthevote.com.
(Francisco Munoz)
