Reminder about Civil Discourse, Voting and Political Activity

The November 3, 2020 General Election is approaching and UC San Diego encourages eligible students, faculty, and staff to register to vote and then to exercise those voting rights. The deadline to register to vote is October 19. We also encourage you to be mindful about restrictions regarding using university resources for political activities.

ELIGIBLE VOTERS MAY:
* Register to vote at: https://registertovote.ca.gov/?t=s
* Verify their registration status at: https://www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/Registration.html
* Confirm their polling location at: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
*Track their mail ballot: https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Governor’s Executive Order, registered voters will receive a ballot in the mail. To reduce exposure of COVID-19, voters are encouraged to vote from the comfort of their home and cast their ballot safely by mail. For registered California voters who choose to vote by mail, you can return your mail ballot from October 6 through November 3, 2020 to any polling location, any mail ballot drop off location, or simply drop it in a United States Post Office Box with no postage necessary.

For registered voters who choose to vote in person, polling locations will be open for four days in San Diego County. All polling locations will be open from 8:00a.m. to 5:00pm October 31-November 2, 2020. On November 3, all polling locations will be open from 7:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. Eligible students who have registered to vote as an on-campus resident (unless they have registered to vote-by-mail), can vote at the designated on-campus polling location in RIMAC Arena. The on-campus polling location at RIMAC Arena will accommodate eligible voters who wish to fill out a provisional ballot and will accommodate San Diego County vote-by-mail voters who wish to drop off their ballots. This polling location will comply with all county and statewide COVID-19 safety measures.

POLITICAL ACTIVITY:
UC San Diego is home to politically active and engaged students, staff, and faculty who are eager to make a difference on campus and in the world. As such, we remind faculty and staff about the University of California’s guidelines on political activities. UC staff and faculty are encouraged to be engaged and politically active. However, such participation and activities cannot be done on behalf of the university. Legal guidelines for UC participation in ballot campaigns and political activity are available at: https://go.ucsd.edu/2RTfvtZ. The use of university resources/funds for ballot initiatives and/or activities that might reasonably be viewed as partisan political activity is generally prohibited.

Individuals who improperly use university resources for political advocacy may be subject to disciplinary actions. Examples of university resources that should not be used for political advocacy may include, but are not limited to:
• University telephones, email, or websites;
• Letterhead or other university-printed materials; and
• University-linked social media.

In addition, wearing a UC San Diego name badge to a political event is not allowed.

If you have further questions, students should contact Heather Belk, Director of Associated Students Administration at: heather@ucsd.edu. Faculty/staff should contact Kaitlin Chell, Executive Director of Government & Community Relations at: kchell@ucsd.edu.

Pradeep K. Khosla
Chancellor

Elizabeth H. Simmons
Executive Vice Chancellor

Alysson M. Satterlund
Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs

Nancy E. Resnick
Chief Human Resources Officer

Kimberly Giangtran
President, Associated Students

Quynh Nguyen
President, Graduate Student Association