CEC Executive Director Robert Guerrero, in an interview, said he and NMC instructor Sam McPhetres are now working on a plan that will allow students to help the commission’s public education campaign.
Due to their “very limited resources,” Guerrero has recommended this scheme to the election commissioners.
The administration allotted $65,000 only for the November election, an amount that is almost half of what the commission asked for.
Guerrero said they may use $30,000 for public education, and the rest will be for their operations on election day, Nov. 2.
Guerrero said he has confidence in NMC’s students.
He talked with some them last year when he was invited to be one of the guest speakers of McPhetres’ current issues class.
This will not be the first time for NMC students to be involved in an election, McPhetres said.
He recalled that four years ago, current issues students were sent to different polling places to assist voters.
McPhetres expects to have 40 to 50 students for his current issues class in the fall semester.
The students will conduct public education through the media regarding the three initiatives on the ballot.
These are House Legislative Initiative 17-1, which authorizes the commonwealth to issue a pension obligation bond for the Retirement Fund; H.L.I 16-13, to prohibit the Legislature from increasing benefits until all government obligations to the Retirement Fund have been fully funded; and H.L.I 16-18, which authorizes the Department of Public Lands to reserve 20 percent of its operational expense to pay and satisfy land claims.
Guerrero said they have only 90 days to prepare and he is hoping they can start conducting the public education campaign early next month.
As of Aug. 10, the commission said 16,435 voters had already registered.
