College of the Desert holds Election Fair and Voter Registration event on campus

Today is the last day to register to vote in California, and College of the Desert is holding a voter registration and election fair event.

The college's Social Justice Club hosted the event at the amphitheater on the Palm Desert campus.

Students flocked to the fair to directly ask questions to local leaders and candidates for local races. Many of these students are first-time voters.

Lilia Gallardo, a senior at the College of the Desert, is voting for the first time after becoming a citizen last year.

"All that information that's out there, it's a little overwhelming. There's a lot of parties involved," she says about the upcoming election.

But thanks to the event, Gallardo says she gained a better understanding of the policies and candidates that are on November's ballot.

Emily Ames, the president of the Social Justice Club, which hosted today's event, says that's the goal.

"I hope it gives them, like the confidence to like who they're voting in and just kind of like, you know, they know what they're voting for instead of just kind of going on what they're being told," Ames explains.

Several candidates appeared at the event, including the following:

• Will Rollins: Running for Congress (CA-41) 
• Ian Weeks: Running for Congress (CA-25) 
• Joey Acuña: Running for Assembly (AD-36) 
• Jeff Gonzalez: Running for Assembly (AD-36) 
• Christy Holstege: Running for Assembly (AD-47) 
• Lisa Middleton: Running for Senate (SD-19) 
• Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh: Running for Senate (SD-19)