U-Pass Referendum

From January 27- 31, 2025, UC San Diego students voted on whether to reauthorize the Student Transportation Fee, which funds the Triton U-Pass program and provides unlimited access to San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD) services. The Associated Students Office of External Affairs team tasked A.S. Graphic Studio with delivering a cohesive campaign. Joshric Aurea, Senior Graphic Designer, developed the campaign’s visual identity and merchandise, while the ASPR team drove the marketing and communications strategy. The campaign’s challenge was twofold: meet the 20% voter turnout threshold required for the referendum to count and ensure that students clearly understood what was at stake. To pass, the referendum had to receive a 50% majority approval from voters. The campaign achieved UC San Diego’s highest voter turnout in five years with over 22,000 participants and a 53.9% turnout rate, ultimately securing the reauthorization of the Student Transportation Fee and continuation of the U-Pass program.

The design direction leaned into bold motifs that paired transit imagery with Fluffy, the A.S. mascot. Joshric designed merchandise used for outreach purposes, which ensured physical reminders of the vote circulated across campus. T-shirts, tote bags, and stickers carried the slogan “Drive the Future Forward” alongside a racecar graphic featuring Fluffy created a playful tie between transportation and urgency. Posters, stickers, and other print assets reinforced the same design language for tabling events and giveaways, helping outreach start conversations.

ASPR worked with the elections team to establish the campaign’s messaging across various platforms. Their strategy combined clear informational content with short-form media to expand reach.

• - A “Paul Revere” meme announcing “The Referendum is coming!” - - Informational reels used Fluffy tapping onto the trolley and scanning the Pronto app to explain the stakes of the vote - - Trend-based audios (“I love your daughter. What do you have to offer her?”) reframed the benefits of the U-Pass program in an engaging format - - Educational graphics clarified what a YES versus NO vote meant and broke down the fees, benefits, and consequences in plain language

Cross-platform presence ensured consistency with the campaign appearing in emails, the referendum’s official website, social media, and physical marketing materials across campus. Together, the branded visuals, promotional items, and social strategy created a recognizable, unified campaign that emphasized both the urgency and value of the referendum.

A.S. Graphic Studio
Joshric Aurea, Nichole Gray, Nicoletta Gagliano, Elisa Kim, and Margaret Le

A.S. Office of External Affairs
Eduardo Tapia

A.S. Office of Communications
William Maggin