I want to start this article with a question: Do you know how the democratic delegate selection process works? No? Don’t worry, neither do most democratic voters. It varies state by state and sometimes each congressional district can have their own rules. The Democratic Party is not a government agency. For lack of a better description, the Democratic Party is an elite group of party officials who have maintained the organization of their private club.

The party elites typically maintain a status quo of power because power typically tries to stabilize comfortably. Every so often someone – or some group of people – comes in to shake that process up. They expose issues within the framework of the Democratic Party, such as how delegates are allocated and distributed. This exposes the disconnect between the popular vote and the actual election process. Bernie Sanders and his political revolution are the group challenging the system in 2016. If you are upset that the United States government does not do everything it can to make sure that your vote matters, then it is time to show them.

The party elites typically maintain a status quo of power because power typically tries to stabilize comfortably.

UCSB for Bernie Sanders is formally announcing that we will be running three students and one professor for the 24th Congressional District’s Elected Delegate positions pledged to Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party. This is a chance for UCSB students to have their voices directly heard by the California Democratic Party. We are calling out to the campus to recruit 500 students to come caucus on May 1 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. from1-3 p.m. We will provide rides from UCSB Bus Loop.

This May 1 caucus is important for two main reasons. First, it is a chance for UCSB students to rally together to collectively show the Democratic Party that we are willing to be engaged in the process of politics. Second, if we win the top seeds and Bernie Sanders wins at least 50 percent of the popular vote in our district, then we will be sent to the Democratic National Convention in July to sit in front of other elected delegates and super delegates to have our voices heard and show the ways in which we can affect change. Too often do older generations turn their noses up at millennials and the youth for our inexperience.

Art Courtesy of Kalei Castille and Riley Brann

Too often do older generations criticize our lack of participation as an unwillingness to engage. Now is the time for UCSB students to tell the establishment politics that we have experience and our knowledge is of worth. Now is the time to demonstrate that the disenfranchisement that millennials and youths have been experiencing throughout the decades will no longer result in a lack of participation, but an eagerness to engage.

Now is the time for UCSB students to tell the establishment politics that we have experience and our knowledge is of worth.

Let’s quickly run through the delegate selection process in California and what this means for us in the 24th Congressional District. Harri Ashby, Michael Riley Brann (myself), Michael Kile and professor Bob Samuels are all running to be elected delegates pledged for Bernie Sanders in the 24th Congressional District. Our district will vote in the June 7 Democratic California Primary. There are 475 elected delegates in California that will either be allocated to Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton based on the popular vote.

Our district, the 24th Congressional District, allocates six of the 475 elected delegates: three females and three males, plus one alternative male. We are running one female and three males total. The May 1 caucus is to vote for the “seeds” of these positions in our congressional district. As we understand it, caucus goers will receive one vote for the amount of spots: six. So, each voter gets six votes. This means that on May 1, at 1500 State St. from 1-3 p.m., we will be able to allocate enough votes to each of our UCSB students and professor.

All around the country, millennials, Bernie supporters and activists are taking to elected positions to show their support for Bernie and his political revolution.

At the caucus, we want to completely and utterly flood the system with UCSB students, millennials, Bernie supporters and people from all facets of our community who want to demonstrate to establishment politics that we are not satisfied with the current system and will not halt our efforts until we are heard. All around the country, millennials, Bernie supporters and activists are taking to elected positions to show their support for Bernie and his political revolution. Erin Schrode is a 24 -year-old woman, recent college graduate and environmental activist who is running to be the elected congresswoman for the second district of California. She admits to being a non-traditional politician and thinks that is just the reason she is the right woman for the job. John Fetterman has become vehemently disgusted with the political framework of his home state, Pennsylvania, which has yielded high levels of income inequality. Fetterman is currently the mayor of Braddock and is running for the Senate position.

From the East Coast to the Best Coast, people all over our nation are beginning to stand up to the stigmas of being nontraditional politicians and have their voices heard. It is time for UCSB to follow in step and ensure the security of our democracy. By garnering the support of 500 Democratically-voting UCSB students in the May 1 caucus, we will make a point loud and clear to the Democratic Party and establishment politics, that we can and do contribute to ensuring democracy in our country.

We want to tell them that we have been working collaboratively with other groups on campus to register students and community members in the Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista communities.

We want to go to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in July to show the Democratic Party all of UCSB’s students involvements with politics in and around campus. We want to sit in front of other elected delegates and super delegates and tell them how we have already registered over 2,500 people to vote. We want to tell them that we have been working collaboratively with other groups on campus to register students and community members in the Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista communities. We want to announce to the DNC that I.V. voter registration has plans to register 15,000 people before the November elections. We want to tell them the results of our Latino Outreach Program, which we have been working on with the local communities. UCSB For Bernie wants to tell the Democratic National Convention in July that students, millennials and youths are more than willing to be involved in politics.

UCSB for Bernie and Riley Brann think that 36 years old is a little too old to be considerd a “youth” by the Democratic Party. We are going to caucus May 1, at 1500 State St. from 1-3 p.m., for our fellow students to put them in positions to speak with party officials and democratic elites, and we hope you’ll help. Check Facebook or the QR for how to get involved.