GWC beat out all other community college campuses in the state for collecting the most voter registrations at an on-campus location
Huntington Beach, CA – May 11, 2021 – Golden West College has received a 2020 Ballot Bowl award from the California Secretary of State as the community college campus that collected the most voter registrations at an on-campus location in 2020.
Mylee Madrazo, Vice President of Student Advocacy for the Associated Students of Golden West College, accepted the award during a Zoom ceremony on May 5, 2021. GWC beat all other California Community Colleges by getting 333 students to register to vote ahead of last November’s presidential election.
“Sometimes, young people underestimate the power of their votes and voices,” said Madrazo, a second-year student at GWC who will be transferring to the University of California, San Diego in the fall.
“I recently read a quote that said, ‘Even if you don’t do politics, politics do you,’” said Madrazo, who is majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Public Policy. “Considering that, I want to encourage all of you to continue pursuing civic engagement on college and university campuses. Step one is getting young people to register. Step two is getting them to show up and vote. And step three is getting them involved in their communities.”
The Ballot Bowl was created by the California Students Vote Project (CSVP) in 2016 as a friendly competition designed to encourage universities and colleges to engage their students in the democratic process and register them to vote. In the 2014 General Election, only 52% of eligible youth were registered to vote, more than 20 points below any other age group.
On Aug. 20, 2018, the Secretary of State’s office held the inaugural California University and College Ballot Bowl. The competition included all of California’s major higher education systems, including the California Community Colleges (CCC), California State University (CSU), University of
California (UC), the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) systems.
Madrazo, who currently works as a staff aide for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said her work in student government has inspired her to pursue a career in local government through public policy or public relations. During her brief award acceptance speech, she thanked the Civic Engagement team at GWC, which included her advisor, Mary Avalos; the Director of Campus Life, Dr. Frank Cirioni; and graduate assistant, John Lieu.
“This is an incredible accomplishment for Golden West College,” Cirioni said. “We are so proud of our students for registering to vote and casting their ballots in record numbers at the GWC Vote Center. In the 2022 midterm elections, we’re aiming for the top prize: Ballot Bowl Champions!
Attached Flyer: GWC BallotBowl [PDF]
