Getting out the vote

By David King

Daily Bruin Contributor

They spent countless hours passing out flyers. They painted
signs, made buttons and subjected themselves to various forms of
rejection or humiliation.

And their names weren’t even on the ballot.

They were the campaigners, and with Wednesday and
Thursday’s Undergraduate Students Association Council
elections, Bruin Walk was inundated by these blue, red and
yellow-shirted volunteers who tried to convince passing students to
vote for their candidate, party or referendum.

Those volunteers involved said they realized the importance of
their presence in the elections.

“If we lose, it’s not because our candidates
weren’t qualified, but because of the campaign effort,”
said Sam Laranang, a fourth-year chemical engineering student and
Praxis member.

Laranang said that he spent about five hours campaigning during
the elections, which was a small effort compared to others.

“There’s a lot of people who are putting eight to 10
hours a day into the campaign,” he said. “I’m
just trying to help out in the little way that I can.”

Fellow campaigner Noni Limar, a first-year theater student, said
she spent more than 12 hours campaigning on Bruin Walk and in the
dorms during the week.

She added that the party’s candidates were her main
motivation for getting involved.

“They are all experienced candidates and they are
continuing what they’ve already started,” Limar said.
“That’s why I volunteer, and why I give them my
time.”

Others said they were induced by friends to help out in the
campaigns.

“I know three or four people who are running for office,
and they’re basically very good people,” said Jennifer
Li, a first-year political science student and member of Viable
Alternative. “I believe in the causes of my
friends.”

And for David Houston, father of USAC presidential candidate
Elizabeth Houston, supporting his daughter by passing out flyers
near Kerckhoff Hall was an easy decision.

“I think she’ll be the best president, and I think
her platform is really strong,” David said.

In fact, Elizabeth’s entire family showed up during the
week to campaign, including her brother and sister, who are both
seniors in high school.

“It’s been great to have them out here to support
her,” David said of his family.

While campaigners mainly distributed informational flyers, the
focus of the campaign often had other strategies.

“The biggest thing for us has been getting
endorsements,” said Gabino Arredondo, fifth-year history
major and chairperson of the Campus Retention Committee and SPARC
supporter.

According to Arredondo, because the CRC is relatively small,
they needed the support of other groups on campus for the
referendum to pass.

“We’re not a big political machine ““
we’re just a small group of people,” Arredondo
said.

David Houston said personal interaction best persuades voters,
though.

“The flyers help a little, but I’ve found talking to
people has been the most successful,” he said. “Many
people are jaded, because they get so many flyers.”

Personal interaction was emphasized in her volunteer training,
Limar said.

“I was trained to get to know people, to talk to them and
ask them what they think needs to be changed ““ and I’m
not even a candidate,” she said.

Such a personal campaign strategy is very effective, said Brian
Walker, professor of American political theory.

“One-on-one campaigns are tremendously important, and
often underestimated,” Walker said. “If you really want
to change people’s opinions, then face-to-face can be
valuable ““ that is, if you have something to say.”

That persuasion has been the experience for people such as
Patrick Ku, a third-year mathematics and computations student, who
planned to vote on Thursday, but said he didn’t know about
the candidates.

“Because I don’t know much about USAC, my knowledge
is attained mainly from those on Bruin Walk,” Ku said.

“It’s not necessarily their flyers, but the people
who talk to me,” he continued.

And although Ku said he has encountered several
“annoying” volunteers, this can in fact be
beneficial.

“Being annoying sometimes helps get your point
across,” he said.

But other passing students such as Russell Brumpton, a
third-year history student, viewed the volunteers as intrusive, and
said they have in fact turned him off to the elections.

“The only reason I’m holding onto these is to get
through Bruin Walk without getting anymore,” he said,
referring to several colored flyers in his hand.

Brumpton, while on his way to a midterm on Wednesday, said the
campaigns haven’t been successful because he didn’t
plan on voting.

“I don’t even know who the candidates are, and I
don’t really care,” Brumpton said.

Such lack of student interest in the elections is caused by USAC
itself, David Houston said.

“There’s a lot of apathy because students
don’t see change,” he continued.

But Limar sees it differently.

“I’ve seen a lot of students saying “˜It
doesn’t matter anyway’ and that “˜My vote
doesn’t count,’ but I don’t believe that,”
she said. “I believe everyone at UCLA really does
care.”

Benefits of campaigning not only apply to USAC elections today,
but also reap long-term effects.

“It’s really great when students experience the
power they have in the world ““ it’s important to get
some experience in political participation,” Walker said.

Limar agreed, saying, “I’m interested in helping my
community (after college), and I think I’ll be even more
involved because of this experience.”