The Official 2024 California General Election Voter Information Guide recently landed in mailboxes across the state, with more than 100 pages devoted to the 10 propositions on the statewide November ballot.
For voters strapped for time, the complex language detailing the pros and cons of each proposed law could seem daunting. Thankfully, students from CMC’s Rose Institute of State and Local Government have produced the Video Voter Guide as a resource to help voters seeking a thoughtful, nonpartisan summary of each proposition.
For this election cycle, 10 students drove the production of the videos and backgrounders analyzing the pros and cons of each ballot measure, which is why “the Video Voter Guide stands out among other ballot guides,” said CMC Professor Ken Miller, Director of the Rose Institute. “Students are the ones who do the research, and they bring their own perspectives to these issues.”
Katherine Jackson ’25, a Government major who co-leads the series—and produced the video unpacking the minimum wage ballot measure, Prop. 32—was drawn to the project for its emphasis on voter education and informed voting.
“There is so much fake news in the media, and so many partisan agendas pushed that aren’t giving the public the full picture,” said Jackson, who also participated in the 2022 Video Voter Guide. “Being part of something that is nonpartisan with the only goal being to inform the general public is such an incredible opportunity. I want students my age to vote and care about what they’re voting for.”
The videos are produced with youth in mind, kept to a brief length with engaging graphics, perfect for YouTube and Instagram viewers. And, as part of the Rose Institute’s youth outreach effort, Jackson noted that she and her fellow “Rosies” are sending links to the Video Voter Guide to high school government and history teachers throughout California in hopes of encouraging eligible youths to vote.
“Voting is our civic duty. My classes at CMC have taught me the power and importance of voting,” said Jackson. “It is a chance for everybody to have a voice in government and their communities.
Miller said the Video Voter Guide, established by the Rose Institute in 2012, is “right at the heart of our institute’s mission to produce high-quality research and promote public understanding of state and local government in California.”
And, he noted, students have been at the center of the project, since its inception. “It’s student-initiated, it’s student-driven, and there is a really collaborative interaction between students and faculty,” Miller said, noting that the project this year was directed by Professor Emeritus Joe Bessette; with assistance from Assistant Director for Research and Publications, Bipasa Nadon; and Rose Institute alumna Jessica Jin ’16.
“Students get to learn from faculty how to analyze a complex policy issue, describe it in a nonpartisan way, present the best arguments for and against the measure, and help voters make their own decisions on the matter,” he said. “That’s an important skill consistent with the whole ethos of CMC, which is to be able to objectively analyze contentious topics, develop good arguments on both sides, and communicate them clearly and effectively.”
Among the additional election season activities undertaken by the Rose Institute, is an upcoming national pre-election poll, directed by Professor Andrew Sinclair, in partnership with YouGov, to be released at the end of October.
The Video Voter Guide, notes Miller, is one the Rose Institute’s activities “most directly aimed at public education. We intend for the guide to spread out beyond the campus to the community at large, so others get the benefit of our work—and we encourage everybody in the CMC community to share these videos with their friends and family.”
Jackson said she’s planning to share the videos with her peers. “I have had many conversations with friends who have decided not to vote just because they don’t know what’s on the ballot. So, this project is personal to me, as I am able to break down the ballot measures into simple and clear videos. I can send them to my friends and family and say, ‘Please watch these short videos, and it will all make sense!’”
View the Video Voter Guide here, on YouTube, or by following @rose_institute on Instagram.