SJSU Votes Organizes Another Successful SJSU Votes Festival for National Voter Registration Day!

SJSU Votes organized the 2023 Votes Festival to celebrate National Voter Registration Day. It was the second annual SJSU Votes Festival celebrating NVRD and the 3rd SJSU Votes Festival. This year, 24 partners joined SJSU Votes on the 7th St Paseo to engage the SJSU community and supply them with important information and resources regarding voter registration, the importance of voting, and opportunities for civic engagement on and off campus. Here is a link to a great article in the Spartan Daily about the event. SJSU Votes is extremely grateful for all of our campus and community partners; we could not have done it without their outstanding participation. We hope to see you all at our next festival!

SJSU Votes Presents Voter Registration and Education Workshop for the SJSU Men’s Basketball Team

SJSU Votes created and presented an educational and informative powerpoint presentation on voter registration and the 2022 November General Election to the SJSU Men’s Basketball Team. We explained the importance of getting students registered and mobilizing them to vote. SJSU Votes detailed how to register to vote, registration deadlines and requirements, how to return your ballot and how to track your ballot. We also briefly reviewed all of the state ballot propositions and the rules about college student registration. Thank you to the SJSU Men’s Basketball Team. Go Spartans!

San Jose District 3 City Council Forum

SJSU Votes and co-sponsors Associated Students SJSU, SJSU Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, SJSU Department of Political Science, CommUniverCity, and Downtown College Prep, held a San Jose District 3 City Council candidate forum via Zoom on October 28, 2022. Irene Smith and Omar Torres were the D-3 election candidates and our panelists. SJSU Votes and CommUniverCity held an in-person watch party for the Zoom event at Biblioteca Latinoamericana where we also tabled, handing out voter registration information. SJSU Votes students created a list of questions for the candidates that related to issues affecting District 3 including topics of rent control, housing availability, and crime. Students also asked questions about economic development and climate change initiatives. Thank you Irene Smith and Omar Torres for taking time to answer our questions and informing District 3 voters!


Boba and Ballots

SJSU Votes held a Boba and Ballots event on October 24, 2022, the last day to register to vote and receive a vote-by-mail ballot. At this event, SJSU students were able to practice voting and learned about voter registration and requirements from SJSU Votes students. They were also able to register to vote in time to receive a vote-by-mail ballot. After this date, voters would have the option to register using same-day, or conditional registration. This Boba and Ballots event idea came from Dr. Currin-Percival’s Pols 15 class which also helped with the SJSU Votes project in fall 2022. SJSU students received a free boba tea (a split cup with two flavors) and then practiced voting on their favorite flavor and on which actor was the best Spiderman. This event was a big success in helping to inform students about voting requirements and deadlines!

San Jose Mayoral Forum

SJSU Votes co-sponsored a San Jose Mayoral Forum via Zoom October 23, 2022 with Associated Students SJSU, San Jose Downtown Residents Association, SJSU Student Affairs, SJSU Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, and the SJSU Department of Political Science. The candidates, San Jose City Councilmember Matt Mahan and Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, answered questions focused on current issues affecting SJSU students, the SJSU campus, and downtown San Jose. The event was moderated by Dr. Mary Currin-Percival, SJSU Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of SJSU Votes. SJSU Votes students gained a lot of experience by helping to plan this informative event for the campus and the community. Thank you to the mayoral candidates, Supervisor Cindy Chavez and Councilmember Matt Mahan, for participating in the forum! 

Voting in the November General Election with Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey

SJSU Votes and the SJSU Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement co-sponsored “Voting in the November General Election with Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey” on October 3, 2022 as part of SJSU Votes National Voter Education Week programming. Registrar Bushey presented a slideshow that outlined what the Registrar of Voters does, voting changes from the Voters Choice Act, important General Election dates, how and where to register and vote. SJSU Votes  students compiled a list of questions regarding registering and voting as an SJSU student. SJSU Votes Director and SJSU Associate Professor Dr. Mary Currin-Percival.  Some students asked about which county to register in if they are not from San Jose and others asked about volunteer, internship, and employment opportunities available at the SCC Registrar of Voters. Thank you Shannon Bushey and Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters for speaking to SJSU students about voting!


Voting in the November General Election with Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey

SJSU Votes and the SJSU Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement co-sponsored “Voting in the November General Election with Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey” on October 3, 2022 as part of SJSU Votes National Voter Education Week programming. Registrar Bushey presented a slideshow that outlined what the Registrar of Voters does, voting changes from the Voters Choice Act, important General Election dates, how and where to register and vote. SJSU Votes  students compiled a list of questions regarding registering and voting as an SJSU student. SJSU Votes Director and SJSU Associate Professor Dr. Mary Currin-Percival.  Some students asked about which county to register in if they are not from San Jose and others asked about volunteer, internship, and employment opportunities available at the SCC Registrar of Voters. Thank you Shannon Bushey and Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters for speaking to SJSU students about voting!

SJSU Votes! and SJSU Football Mobilize Student Athletes!

SJSU Votes!, RISE to Vote, the SCC Registrar of Voters, Afro-UPRIS, and LEAD Filipino participated in SJSU Football’s voter registration and mobilization event on June 6, 2022. It was a great opportunity to work with our dedicated student athletes. Thank you Assistant AD for Football Operations Ben Thienes for organizing this great event and for all of your work on civic engagement. #sjsuvotes #StudentVoter #SpartanUp

Check out this great video produced by SJSU FB

The SJSU Votes Festival was a Success!

The spring 2022 SJSU Votes Festival was an excellent event! SJSU Votes!, the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, Associated Students, Pi Sigma Alpha, Bridge SJSU, the Center for Community Learning & Leadership, the UndocuSpartan Student Resource Center, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, College Democrats, the Asian Law Alliance, and the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters worked together to provide voter registration and education resources for the SJSU Community. We’ll see you at the next SJSU Votes Festival in the fall!