University students breezing by the EMU can expect to be waylaid by vote pledge gatherers during the next few weeks as ASUO launches its campaign to motivate students to vote in the upcoming special election.
Measure 28, a three-year, $725 million income tax increase, was referred from the Oregon Legislature’s summer sessions. The measure is controversial because of the debate over whether it will help solve the state’s budget problems.
ASUO staff members are mobilizing to inform the University community about this issue because many student services depend on the final outcome of Measure 28. If it fails, there will likely be deep cuts in education, social services and public safety. One result will be increased tuition — students will have to pay a surcharge of $10 per credit for winter and spring terms in order to help balance the resulting $6.5 million budget shortfall. But if the measure passes, income tax rates will be affected, causing a 0.5 percent increase for single and joint filings and a 0.33 percent increase in corporate tax rates. The Legislature predicts Measure 28 will cost the average Oregon taxpayer an extra $114 per year.
ASUO intern Rebecca Shively said the main thrust of ASUO’s campaign isn’t to influence students’ decisions on Measure 28, but simply to get them to participate in the special election.
“Our goal is increasing voter turnout, not advocating one side or the other,” Shively said. “We’re intending to be unbiased.”
ASUO State Affairs Coordinator Adam Petkun said the vote pledge drive is one way student government can reach students and encourage them to vote. He added that ASUO’s goal is to make 2,000 face-to-face and 2,000 phone contacts before the special election Jan. 28.
Students can expect to see ASUO staff members out on the street collecting pledges until election day, Petkun said, because it is one of the most effective ways of increasing student
voter participation.
“It gives us an opportunity to have face-to-face contact with someone and a chance to stop them and make sure they know about the election and tell them how it affects them,” said Petkun, who has also been visiting University classes and encouraging students to vote.
ASUO Legislative Associate Stefan Myers said encouraging student voting extends beyond just the pledge drive. ASUO staff members will be making numerous presentations to classes regarding the predicted impact of Measure 28, and on election day there will be a big celebration in the EMU Amphitheater with a performance by the band Tympanic.
“Basically, in everything we’re doing when we talk to anybody, we’re going to be talking about ‘yes’ and ‘no,’” Myers said.
He added that they plan on having ASUO staff members available on election day to usher students to and from the Lane County Elections Office if they need to change their voting address.
Shively added it is important to keep pushing the issue at students because the University will be greatly affected by Measure 28 and students need have a hand in the outcome.
“There’s this common sentiment that politics is separate from everyday life,” Shively said. “But in actuality, it has tremendous impact.”