Being a member of the political organization Students Against War means being nonpartisan and not taking sides, said Michael Hoffman, a 26-year-old graduate student at SF State. But this year’s election has been a headache.

“It’s frustrating,” Hoffman said. “It’s like third party alternatives aren’t even taken into consideration.”

Hoffman voted with hopes that Proposition 85, Proposition 86 and Proposition 87 wouldn’t pass. He believes the measures work against the people and do nothing for Californians.

As of today, results showed that all three propositions were defeated.

Prop. 85 requires parental consent for abortions, Hoffman said it is a representation of the chipping away of women’s rights.

“It’s a part of oppression and exploitation and I personally hope that the prop doesn’t pass,” Hoffman said. “It’s the initial steps that will eventually strip away women’s rights.”

Prop. 86, a cigarette tax increase was another measure that aroused strong, yet negative opinions with Hoffman and he believes the measure attacks working class consumers.

“The government spends billions of dollars for the ‘rebuilding of Iraq’ and we spend even more money to build these huge army bases,” said Hoffman. “But then again we don’t have any money to fund health care. What kind of sense does that make?”

Hoffman feels that the proposition is a disingenuous measure that will cause the working class society to pay more money when it should be the government’s responsibility.

Of the three initiatives, Prop. 87, which provides for a tax on California oil, has been the most manipulative idea brought to the ballot, according to Hoffman.

“It’s a political play that plays on people’s fears of dependency on foreign oil,” said Hoffman. “It’s a move to try and leverage the United State’s power in the Middle East and strengthen our place there.”

According to Hoffman, the measure hypes up Californians into thinking that we’re under the threat of terrorism and it’s sad that the majority isn’t aware that the Middle East isn’t our primary source of oil.

The SF State chapter of SAW was established in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq, according to Hoffman. Along with UC Santa Cruz, the organization has made quite a bit of progress. The organization promotes education over war living by the unity statement of “College Not Combat, Troops Out Now!”