If you hadn't heard, it's an election year. 

And no matter your political affiliation, we can all agree that for a democracy to represent its constituents, we all need to participate. 

The East Coast Asian American Student Union is the largest, longest-running Asian American student organization in the nation. Through their strong presence on college campuses, they keep dialogs going to fight prejudice. They also encourage Asian Americans to get involved in the electoral process. 

"During election years, we do a lot of voter registration drives," says the ECAASU's Ada Chen. "We try to make sure that for every campus that we're connected to or have a loose relationship with, we get something going there saying, 'Hey, you can register to vote! Even if you aren't home, you can vote!'" 

In the ECAASU's case, it's a particularly salient point. Chen explains that for many first generation Asian American students, they may be coming from immigrant families who've never voted in the past.

And if a student doesn't vote? Who can imagine them ever having a larger voice in public policy? 

"We're trying to encourage people to realize that hey have the power to make a difference. Hopefully, we'll get more representation in the national government," says Chen. "Obviously every person we register to vote isn't going to run for office, but it's definitely a really good first step, showing them, this is how the electoral proces works."