According to a study by Tufts University, young voters ages 18 to 29 don't show up to the polls at the same rate as older voters. This statistic becomes more apparent when it comes to midterms and special elections.
Joe Aguiar, the Associated Students Inc. Secretary of Civic Engagement at Cal Poly, said his group has been working to inform students about California's Nov. 4 Special Election.
“We have some students who are curious. They ask, 'Why is there an election booth? It’s not an election year,'" Aguiar said. "Then we do have kids come up who tell us they are aware of the special election and want to register to vote.”
Associated Students is a non-partisan organization. Its goal is to inform students regardless of their political affiliation. They do this by setting up a booth on campus. As of September 24, they have registered 364 students to vote.
"That is the reason we're down there in the heart of campus," Aguiar said. "We're informing people about this opportunity to vote because your vote is your civic voice."
In this special election, voters will vote 'yes' or 'no' on Proposition 50, a measure that would temporarily change the way California's Congressional districts are drawn.
WATCH: A look at Prop. 50 and your Special Election ballot
Cal Poly student Samantha Wellborn said she was not aware there was an election taking place. When it comes to notifying potential voters, she said the manner in which the message is sent is important. What works for one group won’t work for a different group.
"Maybe we can be notified within the resources that we receive, like the emails," Wellborn said. "Just so it's sent to us on our phone with opportunities to learn about it or links. That would be helpful. Or even just like if professors did a little note in class."
The local Republican and Democratic parties are doing what they can to reach voters.
Tom Fulks, Chair of the San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party, said not only are they door-knocking, but they are also going to college campuses.
“We don't have to convince them that this is an important issue," Fulks said. "We just have to make sure they're registered to vote and no matter where they're registered to vote, get those ballots turned in on time.”
A representative from the Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County said they are not canvassing at the moment, but they are sending text messages to constituents.
