Editorial: State Assembly elections give Bruins another chance to use their voices
By Editorial Board
May 17, 2021 3:04 p.m.
Another election, another opportunity.
Bruins, yet again, have the chance to elect someone who can advocate for them at a higher level.
On Tuesday, May 18, west Los Angeles residents will cast their votes in a special primary election for the new representative of California State Assembly District 54, which includes UCLA. The stakes are high and important issues are on the table. California is less than one month away from its planned reopening, but as we look toward a brighter future, we cannot forget that the road ahead will be tough.
This is why the board urges members of the UCLA community to make their voices heard by voting.
At this point in the year, Bruins are all too familiar with elections.
Students recently elected a new slate of officers to the Undergraduate Students Association Council and the community is in the process of selecting the next generation of North Westwood Neighborhood Council members.
The lingering effects of the pandemic make it hard to juggle coursework, daily stressors and voting, which is likely why just 19.82% of the undergraduate student body voted in the 2021 Undergraduate Students Association Council election. But it’s more important than ever to be educated about the issues at hand and cast your ballot.
UCLA is not located in a bubble. It is a part of a vibrant and dynamic community that Bruins can impact.
Six candidates will run in the primary election for the district seat. If no candidate earns a majority of the vote, the two top candidates will move to a general election to be held on July 20.
To call the election important is an understatement. The winner of the election will have a hand in shaping the state’s policies for the foreseeable future, including issues that intimately affect many at UCLA. As a member of the State Assembly, the new assembly member will have a hand in setting tax rates and writing the state’s budget.
This means that voters can help determine the state’s approach to affordable housing, pandemic relief programs, higher education budgets and police reforms.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that one of the contenders for the position, Isaac Bryan, is the director of public policy at the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, the director of public policy for the Million Dollar Hoods project and the director of the UCLA Black Policy project. Bryan is also a UCLA alumnus.
Bryan’s candidacy is a timely reminder that students can – and should – use their education to improve their communities. Many may not be able to run for office at this point in time, but they can still make a difference by voting.
Don’t let apathy get the best of you. It’s too tenuous of a time to allow that to happen.
Inform yourself of who’s running, their platforms and what they hope to do in office once elected. The following is a list of candidates and their campaign websites if they have one:
- Isaac Bryan: https://isaacbryanforca.com/
- Dallas Fowler: http://www.dallasfowler.com/
- Heather Hutt: https://www.heatherhuttca.com/
- Cheryl C. Turner: https://www.cherylturnerforassembly.com/
- Bernard Senter
- Samuel Robert Morales
Polls will close Tuesday at 8 p.m. and all mail-in ballots must be returned or postmarked by the same day. Bruins can find a list of in-person voting centers and locations to drop off ballots here.
Vote.
