Queer the Vote 2020
Our Goals
oSTEM @ UCSD is excited to announce Queer the Vote 2020, a non-partisan voter registration and voter education campaign for the November 2020 General Elections! This is the first event of its kind within our organization and our goal is to increase voter turnout and awareness among our LGBTQ+ students in STEM. In 2016, young voters ages 18–29 had the lowest registration and voter turnout rates. We want to change that.
The LGBTQ+ community is a beautiful, intersectional group filled with members of a wide variety of identities, many of them marginalized in society. Because so much legislative and administrative policy ultimately impacts our community, it is crucial for us to be aware of candidates that understand our intersectional identities, are committed to working on LGBTQ+ specific policies, and advocate for us at every level of government.
Our Strategy
As part of the younger generations, we often feel that our vote doesn’t matter and that our potential for political impact is low. This is why much of Queer the Vote 2020’s work focuses on the local and state levels of government, as these spaces are often much easier and quicker to affect the change we want to see. With this and approximately 10 million LGBTQ+ citizens over the age of 18 eligible participate in the upcoming election cycle: Our votes matter.
We hope to inspire you with an increased sense of civic engagement, encouraging you to hold politicians accountable and teaching you how mobilization and organization of your immediate communities are much easier than you’ve been led to believe — we all have agency in the world and it is imperative that you learn how to harness it to affect the change you wish to see in society.
Take Action!
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of society; the voting process is one of them. Throughout the country, many states are switching to vote-by-mail. In California, every registered voter will automatically be mailed a ballot, but you must still be registered to vote in order to receive it!
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be posting a bunch of information like this on matters pertaining to the election season. We’ll cover topics like voter eligibility, how to register to vote, voting deadlines, non-partisan voter guides, and more! We’ll be circulating all of this through our social media and newsletter so, if you’re not already connected with us on those platforms, make sure to follow us on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and sign up for our mailing list!
