Nov. 3 deadlines for San Diego students: conditional registration and drop-off options
Student turnout in midterms fell nearly 10 points between 2018 and 2024, and SDSU is still registering voters while a federal ruling reshapes enforcement.
By
Rachel Smith
In brief
- SDSU’s Rock the Vote campaign is registering students through Election Day, Nov. 3.
- Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguín barred federal agents from some election-related field operations in nine states.
- Her injunction was stayed until 5 p.m. on Friday.
- California voters can still register conditionally at county vote centers.
Students at San Diego State University can still register and vote in California’s Nov. 3 midterms, even though the online deadline has passed, while a federal judge in Oakland has curbed a Homeland Security crackdown on suspected unlawful voters in nine states.
A campus campaign against falling turnout
SDSU’s Associated Students runs an annual, nonpartisan Rock the Vote initiative, led by the A.S. vice president of external relations, according to San Diego State University. The goal is to raise registration and civic engagement before the midterms, and the Elections stakes are visible in the turnout record.
That drop of close to 10 percentage points frames the whole campaign. Outreach tables first appeared on Sept. 15, National Voter Registration Day, and they return each Tuesday and Wednesday, set up at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union as well as close to the Aztec Recreation Center Courtyard.
Most peer-to-peer outreach is done by student volunteer civic engagement officers, who staff tables and events and give presentations in classrooms and residence halls. The program has nearly doubled the size of the Rock the Vote team compared with last year.
“There is a common misconception that midterm elections are not as important as federal or presidential elections due to the lower volume of news coverage,” said Scarlett Walker, A.S. vice president of external relations.
How students can still take part
- The online registration deadline passed Oct. 19, but eligible San Diegans can use conditional voter registration at the Registrar of Voters or any county vote center through Election Day.
- Registration status can be checked at registertovote.ca.gov.
- Students from other states who cast a ballot in California ought to verify that they qualify, while anyone choosing to vote in their home state should look up that state’s own deadlines.
- On the ballot are contests for Congress, the governorship and additional statewide offices, along with 14 state propositions covering subjects such as affordable housing, healthcare and funding for public schools.
Diana Lara, SDSU civic engagement coordinator, said: “Our goal at SDSU is to build a culture of civic engagement throughout campus through an inclusive and welcoming environment.”
The injunction on federal agents
In a separate development, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguín granted a preliminary injunction on Wednesday that bars the Department of Homeland Security from running its so-called Unlawful Voter Initiative across nine states, according to Courthouse News. Until the polls close on Nov. 3, federal agents cannot carry out field operations or interviews tied to the election when they involve people they know to be U.S. citizens, or suspect or reasonably should suspect are. The nine states covered are Wisconsin, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Nevada, Missouri, Georgia, Connecticut and California.
The judge put her order on hold until 5 p.m. on Friday. The California Nurses Association and National Nurses United asked for it. Last month those two unions filed suit together with the Voto Latino Foundation, Santa Clara County, and the city and county of San Francisco, claiming that Homeland Security uses databases in nine states to try to single out people who might be voting unlawfully.
Martinez-Olguín wrote: “The Unlawful Voter Initiative is part of the federal administration’s effort to combat voter fraud.” She added that limiting policies that sweep in citizens does not stop defendants from investigating fraud by lawful means.
Competing figures in court
| Side | Argument |
|---|---|
| Plaintiffs’ attorney Geoffrey Curfman, Protect Democracy Project | Agencies advertised investigating 300,000 people and prosecuted 130. In California, a claimed 190,000 was lowered to 20,000, with one indictment. |
| The Justice Department | Announced Monday that 28 people had been taken into custody on suspicion of having registered or voted in California prior to becoming naturalized citizens. |
| Kelsey Helland, an attorney for the Justice Department | Contended that the exchange of data between USCIS and ICE, along with the sending of agents into the nine states, count as investigative methods within efforts launched last year to curb unlawful voting. |
Curfman also told the court the investigations create “a credible fear” among citizens. The plaintiffs’ intimidation claims are allegations, and the judge’s wording does not set fraud figures.
Photo: Edmond Dantès / Pexels
