Long Beach State students listen to a presentation on voting given by Associated Student Inc. on October 28 in preparation for the upcoming elections. Photo credit: Troy Lippman

As the upcoming elections approach, students gathered for more information about their voting rights bee the University Students Union on October 28.

The Associated Students Inc. Judiciary Branch hosted the event, which included several affiliated panelists who provided attendees with information about voter rights.

Topics covered included access to polling stations and leave. Students also asked panelists questions about understanding voter rights.

One of the questions asked was how to involve students in the voting process. The panel members informed those present ASI lobby corps had been holding meetings on campus over the past month to educate students on how issues such as policies and proposals impact students and why it is important to make student voices heard through voting. The Lobby Corps has also organized events to discuss issues, including the outcome of the vote.

The event also discussed early voting and mail-in ballots, and how it may be more convenient for some people to vote at home by mailing them instead of voting in person.

Katherine Garcia-Guerrero, a second-year political science and international studies major, learned more about what she can do as an active voter and said the meeting was very helpful to her.

“One thing I learned is that you can ask for work to give you paid time off so you can vote, which I found helpful,” Garcia-Guerrero said. “I also learned how to track your ballot.”

Dollin Ha, a third-year kinesiology major, said he was aware of many voting resources prior to the event that he was not aware of.

“One thing I learned is that I got two hours of paid time off to vote, so that was cool, and also about other resources I can use to vote,” Ha said.

Student voters should choose a voting method that best suits them and their preferences. To be registered to vote in the state of California, you must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old. cAlifornia is a same-day voter registration state, but people are encouraged to register before voting vote.ca.gov.

Long Beach State will have an on-campus voting center at the Walter Pyramid starting Nov. 2, where students can drop off their ballots on campus. It will be open from 10am to 7pm on the days leading up to the election and from 7am to 8pm on election day.

Student voters who work can request paid leave from their employer two days before the election, giving them two hours to vote on Election Day.