LLS Votes 2024: Election Engagement
Once again, LMU Loyola Law School will be galvanizing student engagement in the upcoming general election.
In keeping with the tradition first established in 2018, LLS will not hold classes on Election Day 2024. This space in the schedule makes possible the signature element of Loyola’s program: per its social justice and service mission, LLS is making a major push to encourage members of the Loyola community to serve as pollworkers. Service as a pollworker represents an unparalleled opportunity for law students to become government officials for the day, gaining practical experience in the interpretation and application of overlapping federal and local regulations. And when Loyola students, many of whom have facility in multiple languages, serve as pollworkers, they also fill a substantial community need. Loyola students will be serving as pollworkers throughout the region, including in a few particularly hard-to-staff polling stations where we anticipate that all of the officials will be members of the Loyola community. Individuals serving may earn cash or pro bono credit.
Though the pollworker project is the signature element of Loyola’s program, the effort has several components:
- When Loyola students register for classes, they will see a link to register to vote on the same landing page, right next to the link for course registration.
- All eligible Loyola students are encouraged to register, and to ensure that their registrations are up to date. Students will also be able to check their current registration, in LA and beyond.
- All Loyola students have online access to TurboVote, which makes it easy for eligible students to register, to apply for absentee ballots, and to receive election information and reminders.
- In the run-up to Election Day, Loyola will be hosting panels and speakers on issues particularly salient in the upcoming election -- like a panel on Constitution Day with former local election officials, and a Dean's Den on October 10 with nationally-recognized scholars of the law of democracy.
- On Election Day itself, there will be no classes, freeing students to serve as pollworkers. In partnership with the office of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, teams of Loyola students will serve in hard-to-staff polling places across the county, and beyond. Students who serve as pollworkers can earn invaluable experience, as well as a monetary stipend or (for students after their first semester) pro bono credit.
- Students who aren’t able to serve as pollworkers can also assist with several nonpartisan Election Protection efforts, including efforts run by organizations assisting underserved communities in the Los Angeles area.
- The law school's efforts are part of LMU's Listen. Engage. Vote. activities.