Fresno State students pitch in to help get their peers to vote

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A group of Fresno State students is getting their peers to the polls.

The University's NAACP chapter played a big role in the signing of a new bill.

"It bothers me when I hear older people say we young people just don't care and it's not something we want to concern ourselves with," says D'Aungillique Jackson, a member of Fresno State NAACP.

in the 2014 election, only 8.2% of eligible 18-24 year olds voted. In the 2018 midterm election, that figure climbed to 27.5%.

But students say that's not enough.

"When you talk to them more, it really turns into - 'I don't know what's happening? I'm supposed to be functioning in this world but no one ever broke this process down for me but I'm not sure what to do'," says Jackson.

Fresno State's NAACP chapter has hosted dozens of events on campus encouraging students to vote.

They also testified to lawmakers about Assembly Bill 963.

"Just being in front of our representatives and pushing our bill was an amazing experience," says student Elizabeth Rocha Zuniga.

Now signed into law, the bill designates that all California public universities have a Civic and Voter Empowerment Coordinator on campus in addition to other resources to educate students on their voting rights.

The bill will be implemented January 1, 2020, with Fresno State as the pilot campus.