Ringfield is a junior at Chula Vista High School and lives in Chula Vista.
Last August, I wrote a commentary for The San Diego Union-Tribune. I highlighted the constant need to expand access in this democratic republic we call the United States. I explored the need for accessible polling schedules, applauded the California government for their mail-in ballot advocacy, and highlighted the role youth and people of color can play in civic duties if given the proper access and support.
At a Sweetwater Union High School District monthly board of trustees meeting last fall, where I serve as the student board representative, board member and former journalist and former city councilwoman in San Diego Marti Emerald, was determined to aid me in using my platform to pre-register and register as many eligible students as possible to vote in the South Bay. With the help of Sweetwater Union High School District Assistant Superintendent Richard Vernon Moore, the district’s program manager Kristina Fox and a team of youth leaders I assembled, we kicked off our Voter Registration Campaign at Chula Vista High School in mid-January. We registered over 320 students to vote in just two days.
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At the heart of this project for me is equal representation. At Montgomery High School, in the Otay Mesa West area in the city of San Diego, we registered over 100 students to vote. As we visited classrooms, I repeatedly said “There is a mayoral election this year. The experiences and backgrounds of this area of the city of San Diego in contrast to other areas are vastly different. No one knows your community like you do.”
For example, regarding this year’s mayoral election in San Diego, the population of Rancho Bernardo (North San Diego) is at 45,154 and the population of Otay Mesa West (South San Diego) is at 32,836 people. These two communities lie within the same city but share different perspectives, backgrounds, and issues.
Almost 70 percent of residents in Otay Mesa West are Hispanic/Latino. In Rancho Bernardo, only 10 percent. It is important not to look at this statistic as a negative one. San Diego is a county that should pride itself in its diversity. Even so, it is deeply important to understand that those in Otay Mesa West deserve equal representation and access as those in Rancho Bernardo simply because they are different. That is what equal representation is about.
I visited schools in West and East Chula Vista. Two regions that lie within the same city, but are vastly different. Most of the students and staff were just as welcoming as any other Chula Vista school, and I met staff that had previously taught at my high school, now teaching and leading at other sites. The only difference? “I already registered at the DMV when I got my driver’s license,” one student from Eastlake High School said. Well, several students. Registering for a driver’s license at the DMV means you may have access to a vehicle, are a United States citizen and can ultimately pay the several fees the DMV demands of you.
For example, the median household income of East Chula Vista is $128,839. While the median household income for West Chula Vista is at $70,873.
Again — this is no negative statistic. New development in East Chula Vista has been a haven for the upper middle class across Southern California; it is a testament to the growth seen in Chula Vista every year and is amazing for our local economy. However, when comparing a 53 percent Hispanic/Latino population in East Chula Vista, to an almost 75 percent figure in the west, it is easy to assume that a drop in Latino voter turnout in 2022, specifically in West Chula Vista, could lead to a change from a Democratic, female, Latinx mayor in Mary Salas, to a Republican, male, Caucasian mayor, in John Mccann.
Again — this is fine! But let’s continue to work towards full civic engagement for all who are over the age of 18. For all residents.
That is what our Voter Registration Campaign is all about.
We reached over 1,300 students pre-registered and registered to vote. More than half of them will be eligible to vote this upcoming November. This campaign has taught me that no matter what, you must work to be a voice for those who do not have one. For those who can not use them. You must educate. Take action, and educate. As an Uber driver told me one evening, “You can’t fix stupidity, but you can fight ignorance. Through education. Through history.”
