On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, approximately 15 people gathered outside the polling center in Sun God Lounge at 12:30 p.m. for a “March to the Polls” rally held by the UC San Diego Students’ Civil Liberties Union and Triton Democrats in support of Proposition 50.
Prop 50, also known as the Election Rigging Response Act, proposed an amendment to the California Constitution to allow the current legislature to redistrict its congressional map to counter the Texas Legislature’s remapping earlier this year.
The SCLU and Triton Democrats announced the rally via an Instagram post on Nov. 4.
Although the rally began near the polling center, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Life Patricia Mahaffey told the speakers that they have to move away from the line of voters to avoid violating California’s anti-electioneering laws. California law prohibits any electioneering, or “the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot,” within 100 feet of a polling center.
Aryan Dixit, third-year UCSD student and president of the SCLU, kicked off the rally. After some technical difficulties, Dixit discarded his microphone for a megaphone and addressed the crowd.
“Prop 50 is about hope — hope that we can do something about the problems that we’re facing, in San Diego, in our county, in California, and the rest of the nation,” Dixit said. “What happens on a federal level affects us in San Diego, it affects us at UCSD, it affects us in California. That’s why I want y’all to vote yes on Prop 50.”
State Assemblymember Tasha Boerner took up the megaphone next. Boerner represents California’s 77th District, which covers most of northern San Diego east of Interstate 5.
“Each of us have the right to stand up to what Donald Trump is doing; his agenda is undermining everything we hold dear,” Boerner said, “It is so important that we get out, everyone that came, [to vote] by 8 p.m. today.” Boerner shared that her son, who just turned 18, had returned to California the night before just to vote in favor of Prop 50.
Jack Howard, a fourth-year at UCSD and statewide president of the California College Democrats, also spoke to the crowd.
“Prop 50 has been a sprint; we’ve done so much organizing across the entire state, especially here at UC San Diego,” Howard said.
Howard said that Prop 50 would counter the Trump administration’s recent actions, emphasizing the “hundreds of millions of dollars in research grants cut overnight, SNAP benefits eliminated, undocumented students deported by secret police,” and how “this administration needs to be put in check.”
Daniel Guerrero, a third-year student and president of Triton Democrats, spoke about the rapid organizing he has seen against Trump since his win last November.
“From my first year with only five members in a classroom, to now the largest College Democrats organization in California … because the students are fed up,” Guerrero said.
Guerrero ended his address by introducing Kent Lee, San Diego City Council president pro tempore and UCSD alumnus.
“I think everyone’s aware that this country is currently in crisis, and you can see that reflected in every level of government, even going down to the local level,” Lee said. “We’re out here today for Prop 50 because there is an opportunity for change. And it doesn’t just end with today’s vote — today is just the start of a journey.”
Lee said the referendum was rooted in protecting democracy.
“California is doing what it is doing today not just in response to Texas — it’s completely different than what we’ve seen in Texas,” Lee said. “This isn’t about legislatures making their own decisions on who represents them. It’s about us giving the opportunity to the people of California to actually have a voice. That’s why we’re different.”
After the rally, Lee gave a statement to The UCSD Guardian.
“I’m out here for Prop 50 because we know that around the country, not everyone is playing fair when it comes to elections,” Lee said. “We have seen that when the president demanded that certain seats are tilted in his favor in certain states, that those state legislators have done exactly that.”
Boerner also spoke with The Guardian after the rally to share why she came to UCSD to promote Prop 50.
“It’s really important that young people know they have agency,” Boerner said. “The federal government’s policies right now are undermining our next generation’s future, whether it’s the environment, jobs, higher education — that is our kids’ future.”
Prop 50 passed on Tuesday, Nov. 4. With 80% of votes counted as of publishing, 64.1% of California voters voted to approve Prop 50.