Cal State LA students support voter engagement through CAUSE’s Together We Vote initiative

Cal State LA students helped capture voters' experiences at an on-campus vote center as part Together We Vote (TWV), a multiday civic engagement initiative organized by the nonprofit Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE).

More than a dozen students from Cal State LA's College of Ethnic Studies conducted a survey about voter engagement with students from UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and Pasadena City College. The effort aimed to help ensure students and local communities feel welcome, safe, and comfortable while casting their ballots.

TWV brings community and culture into civic engagement to motivate residents to go out and vote in Los Angeles County's historic Asian and Pacific Islander neighborhoods. Its mission is to reshape the approach to voting, so it becomes a form of joy and community belonging instead of a task.

Cal State LA's on-campus vote center for Los Angeles County gave local voters an alternative destination to cast their ballots. Located on the fourth floor of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library's Palmer Wing, the center provided a welcoming communal space for all.

Voters who participated in the brief two-page survey were offered snacks or refreshments as they left the vote center. Voters with limited time would complete a digital survey on Qualtrics created by Cal State LA students Andrea Hernandez, Giovanni A. Frumento, and Henry Amador.

Juily Phun, an assistant professor of Asian and Asian American Studies at Cal State LA, guided students throughout Election Day.

"In an era where voter suppression and election denialism are rampant, students who are there at the polls-capturing how others experience their voting journey-can better help all of us provide a safe space for everyone to be civically engaged," Phun said.

CAUSE's work at Cal State LA includes CAUSE on Campus, a leadership and internship program developed with the university's Asian and Asian American Studies program. Also offered at UCLA, the program aims to increase civic engagement among students and local communities.

While participating in the program, students become job-ready through an embedded internship, a stipend, mock interviews, and resume writing. In addition, the program offers networking opportunities in students' respective fields, including business, engineering, and the humanities.

Cal State LA students played a central role in the voter survey efforts. Participating students included Nathan Ly, Judith Paniagua, Darby Coria, Tina Truong, Adriana Nazario, Reina Sandoval, and Kin Yeung, along with graduate students Giovanna Calderon, Jeannette Calderon, and Abigail Garcia Calderon.

"The role of the students in this data collection, this is absolutely not possible without their hard work," said Phun.