Voter education group visits LBCC to inform students about the upcoming midterm election

With the midterm election approaching on Nov. 3, the League of Women Voters of Long Beach Area and ASB hosted a review session and discussion to help educate Long Beach City College students on ballot measures and propositions on Oct. 12 at the Liberal Arts Campus.

“We are always worried about getting the vote out,” said Maggie Drazil, president of the local chapter of The League of Women Voters.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan civic organization that provides voter education and encourages participation in the democratic process by providing these types of sessions.

“Students have a tendency not to vote, so we are trying to get students more civically engaged to understand that voting impacts their current life, not just people with property and children,” said Drazil.

For college students, ballot education can be especially valuable as they learn how local and statewide decisions may affect their education, housing opportunities, employment and everyday living.

 For Poetuh Balencuela, a student at LBCC, the session offered an unbiased space to ask questions freely.

“I’m interested today because it’s unbiased and gives us information.  I feel a lot of times it can be biased for people who use tricky language, and so that could be a little bit irritating.” Balencuela said.  

The League of Women Voters came to present some of the most pressing ballot propositions they felt were the most controversial and most impactful for students and the community, offering information and analysis on statewide ballot propositions.

^{Jane Bemis, front, Local League of Women Voters board member, and Maggie Drizal, back, president, present information on several key propositions to students and faculty during the one hour 2026 Election Proposition Review Monday at LAC. The League of Women Voters provided information and analysis on statewide ballot propositions to help voters examine the issues befoe making their decisions. (Diosa Hippolyta)}

The last day to register to vote for the General Election is Oct. 19 and attendees were encouraged to use reliable sources like lavote.gov  and the California’s Secretary of State’s website for information on registration.  

Propositions 3, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 44 were the topics of discussion and will have some of the largest impacts on the lives of many California students and their families.  

Students were invited by their professors in the ethnic studies and political science departments as an extra credit assignment, but some also had a want to learn more about the voting process and the real issues that are affecting students, like Jayden Nicolle, a Psychology major at LBCC.

“I initially attended because I’m actually not registered to vote. It’s not that I never sought out an interest in voting, but I just feel like I was never educated enough as far as how voting works,” said Nicolle.

Nicolle explained how her experience at Lakewood High School and education offered by the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) has left her disappointed in the lack of opportunities for civic engagement and education during her time with LBUSD.

“I don’t feel like we were necessarily taught about voting.  I feel like it (voting) never got brought up because they (LBUSD) never really wanted any kind of conflict within a classroom or a different perspective, whether it be like a teacher or a student,” Nicolle said.

California’s November 2026 ballot includes measures addressing affordable housing, state budget reserves, education funding, campaign finance and other public policy issues.  

For college students, learning about and understanding these proposals can help evaluate their potential effects on residents, public services and government spending by having meaningful conversations and effective discussions about the information and disinformation that is out in the media.

The presentation at LBCC was an opportunity for students to engage and ask questions, explore the details of ballot measures and approach the voting process with a greater understanding and confidence.

Some students expressed concerns about the lack of communication about the event to all students. There were no postings or emails sent through LBCC communications systems notifying students about the event.

“We (ASB) did some targeted outreach through the political science faculty and ethnic studies faculty, as well as, the history and political science club, and online via Instagram” student activities advisor Kim Hamon said.

Students in attendance shared their concerns about how students are being notified about events like this on campus.

“I would say that they (LBCC) dropped the ball on getting the information out about it (event),” Balencuela said.

Hamon explained the purpose of the event is to encourage students to learn more about the issues that they will be voting on in the upcoming ballot and to be well-informed voters.

Hamon shared information about the California University and College Ballot Bowl, a friendly competition where higher education campuses compete to register students to vote, encourage students to submit a plan to vote, and showcase civic engagement efforts that LBCC is participating in for 2026.

^{Kim Hamon, student activities advisor, presents information on the CalifornaiUniversity and College Ballot Bowl competition at the 2026 Election Proposition Review session Monday at LAC. The California University and College Ballot Bowl is a friendly competition where higher education campuses compete to register students to vote, encourage students to submit a plan to vote, and showcase civic engagement efforts. (Diosa Hippolyta)}