SACRAMENTO, CA – Last night the Governor signed AB 2815, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), which ensures that voting is accessible for students attending public universities. AB 2815 requires all California State University (CSU) campuses and requests University of California (UC) campuses to have a vote by mail (VBM) ballot drop box location on campus.
“Young people will live the longest with the decisions made by their elected officials, so it is imperative that we make it easier for them to exercise their right to vote,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “Voters between the ages of 18 to 24 are the most underrepresented among California’s voting electorate. Placing ballot drop boxes on college campuses is a simple but meaningful change that will elevate student voices and strengthen our democracy.”
“The recent passage of AB 2815, which mandates counties to provide a mail-in ballot drop off location at all CSU campuses, will improve the accessibility of thousands of students across California to all statewide elections,” said Trent Murphy, California State Student Association Vice President of Legislative Affairs and student at Stanislaus State. “The California State Student Association is proud to support the passage of this bill. No longer will a student in the CSU system have to forgo exercising their right to vote because of transportation, health, or extenuating circumstances.”
“We are excited by the recent passing of AB 2815 which would require California State Universities and request the University of California system to have a vote-by-mail location on their campus. This is a major step forward for expanding access to voting, especially amongst college-aged students,” said Young Invincibles West Advocacy Manager Sarah Bouabibsa. “As a national advocacy organization that seeks to amplify the voices of young adults in the political process, Young Invincibles is proud to continue our work on voter expansion through policies like AB 2815 that will meet students where they are and ensure that they can exercise their right to have their voice heard. We thank Assemblymember Marc Berman for continuing to utilize his leadership as a tool for empowering students.”
With the passage of AB 2815, when students are on campus, there will be a VBM ballot drop box accessible on campus for all statewide elections.