With the Nov. 5 state and local elections quickly approaching, members of the UCSD community will spend the next three and a half weeks enduring the baby-kissing, campaign promises and mud-slinging that accompany nearly every democratic election before casting their vote for the most deserving candidate or proposition.

And while many voters have been jaded by the American election process because of the aforementioned characteristics, ignoring the constitutional right to select those who will be defending the interests of the masses is rather irresponsible of the American citizen. The right to vote afforded to Americans is a constitutionally protected right in our nation; it has been a privilege that expresses the individual autonomy and freedom of expression that many others in the world have never and may never experience.

As an institution of the state of California, UCSD receives the bulk of its funding from the state budget. In theory, by selecting the governor and state legislature most desirable to the UCSD voter, one will have the privilege of shaping — albeit indirectly — the amount of state money UCSD receives in the coming years.

As local residents, members of the UCSD community should voice their concerns by voting on the candidates they see fit to govern and make policies about our surrounding locality.

The Guardian urges those in the UCSD community who have yet to register to vote to do so by Oct. 21, the postmark deadline for registration forms to be approved in time for the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Registration forms can be found at public libraries, post offices and by contacting the San Diego County elections office at (858) 565-5800. Forms are also available for download on the World Wide Web at the Federal Election Commission site, located at http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm.