CNN political commentator Van Jones gives students a glimpse ‘behind the ballot’ as Election Day approaches

With early voting underway and Election Day a week away, CNN political commentator Van Jones told Cal State Fullerton students that character matters to candidates when they cast their ballots in the 2024 election.

Jones responded to a student’s question about the candidates’ character after his talk Oct. 24 at the inaugural Behind the Ballot civic engagement event, presented by Associated Students Inc. and that Department of Student Affairs.

“I think character matters. I think the country has to make a choice, and whatever choice the country makes, we have to live with it.”

Behind the Ballot is a civic engagement event that aims to inform and educate college students through Q&A dialogue with a political influencer.

The Yale-educated attorney, Emmy Award-winning producer and author of three New York Times best-selling books fielded questions from student moderator Kayla Lam during the evening program, followed by questions from students in the audience.

Jones talked about his childhood, work as a civil rights activist and professional success. He addressed topics such as civic engagement, the benefit of civil discourse, and the importance of voting.

Voters registered to vote in Orange County can vote in person at the Titan Student Union voting center from Saturday 2 November. The polling center on campus will be open every day until November 5.

Lessons behind the ballot

Alexis Cuevas, trained assistant in ASIs student programming and engagement department, were among the students who participated in the event.

Cuevas, who is pursuing a master’s degree in higher education, said Jones’ message about the importance of voting resonated with her because the outcome of local measures and locally elected candidates directly affects students.

“With this upcoming election, civic engagement is important to discuss because of the divide in our country,” said Cuevas, a first-generation college graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from CSUF in May. “A lot of people associate themselves with one side or the other, so it’s critical to promote civic engagement and get students to vote for the kind of future they want.”

When asked about college students’ indifference to voting and whether their votes counted, Jones shared a lesson about the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Jones emphasized that Bush won the election by a margin of just 537 votes.

“I’m not going to lie. There is a very hard truth about voting. You can’t vote and get everything you want,” he said. “If you want to make a society successful, voting is one of the many things you have to do.”

Lam, a business administration major and coordinator of ASI programs and events, asked Jones what students can do when they feel overwhelmed and struggle to understand confusing ballot propositions and candidates for office.

Jones advised that college students should “find a source you respect” for information, such as voter guides for political parties. Voting is not an exam, he added: “If you just don’t know, you can leave it blank.”

He also encouraged the students to get involved in their communities because they are the ones who will benefit the most. He spoke about his work to get bills passed, as an advocate for people falsely imprisoned, and activism for coal miners who lost their pensions and health.

“It’s impossible to volunteer, get involved and contribute and not get a lot more out of it,” he said. “You will never make the world perfect, but you grow your heart, mind and network of people.

“To solve problems, you need people who don’t look like you, pray like you, love like you. You have to work with people who are completely different.”

From the beginning of rural areas

Jones opened up about his childhood and humble beginnings in rural Tennessee. He said that his parents, both educators, were born in the segregated South. His father joined the military to escape poverty and put himself through college.

After high school, Jones attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, where he studied communications and political science, and then enrolled at Yale Law School in 1990.

“I’ve come a long way. My father started with nothing and gave me everything,” he said.

Jones said his mother always told him he could do anything. He encouraged the students to put doubts aside and push forward to achieve their goals.

“What I’m saying is no pressure, no diamonds. The struggle is what will make you great. It’s your ability to overcome that makes your story special.”