Informing the youth vote
WASHINGTON (AP) - January 17, 2008 On top of that, information overload from all the tech toys gets
in the way of finding news sources they can trust. Confusing
absentee ballots and a lack of faith in the system also may turn
young voters into no-shows at the polls.
Andy Weisman, a 23-year-old research analyst from Arlington,
Va., simply looks up information in a newspaper about the
candidates. Still, he says, plenty of people his age are turned off
voting by "not knowing enough about the candidates and not knowing
how to find out about the candidates."
More than 20 million people younger than 30 cast their votes in
2004's presidential election. But, at 49 percent, that's still
lower than the overall turnout of 64 percent.
"They are so overwhelmed with all the different information,"
says Abby Kiesa, youth coordinator for the University Maryland's
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement, which has studied why young people don't vote. "In
almost every single focus group, bias and spin in the media came up
totally spontaneously."
For reaching young voters, the messenger appears to be more
important than the message. They rely on family and friends, Kiesa
said. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, have
also emerged as serious campaign tools.
Once they connect with a candidate, what can young voters do to
prepare to cast their ballots? Some common questions and answers
for taking that next step:
-How do I register to vote?
Mary Krulia, a 22-year-old Washington legal assistant from
Lancaster, Ohio, plans to cast her primary election vote from
Washington in March. "But I need to re-register somehow," she
said. "I need to call the board of elections and see what I need
to do."
To find out about a state's voting regulations and to print out
a registration form, go to www.rockthevote.com.
The Federal Election Commission also produces a downloadable
guide for voters about how to register categorized by state
available at http://www.fec.gov/votregis/pdf/nvra.pdf.
Laws vary by state, but voters must register well before an
election. In California, for example, voters must register 15 days
before going to the polls. In Michigan and Louisiana, voters must
register 30 days in advance.
-Should I register where I attend school?
Students who don't have to leave campus to vote are more likely
to punch the chads, according to a study by the civic learning and
engagement center. However, two-thirds of college students in the
last election were not registered where they went to school.
Yet registering could mean changing official residence and all
that entails, such as getting a new driver's license, serving on a
jury or paying taxes. It's a hassle many students want to avoid.
In Michigan, college students are required to register in the
same district as their permanent address.
"This law really disenfranchises college students in the
state," said Brandon Hynes, 20, of Canton, Mich., president of
College Democrats of Michigan. "If you live on the east side of
the state, in November weather could be bad, making it really
difficult to vote."
Absentee voting is a process that must start weeks before the
election. It's a deterrent to last-minute voters, Hynes says.
-How do I learn when an election is being held?
Rhett Skelton, a 25-year-old Arlington, Va., voter originally
from Houston, said the difficulty of finding out about the
logistics of voting and the issues at stake are deterrents for
younger voters.
"Since it's only one day, most people don't know about which
day it is," Skelton said.
To see the 2008 primary election calendar, voters can visit the
Federal Voting Assistance Program's Web site at
http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html. They can also keep track
of their local elections by checking with their local election
boards.
-What can I expect when I go to my polling place?
Depending on turnout, a voter may have to wait in line at the
polling place, often a school, fire station, church or other public
building in the voter's neighborhood.
The voter signs in with precinct officials, and a volunteer
worker checks the voter's name with the official roster of
registered voters. (Bringing identification may make this process
easier.) The voter typically signs a log showing he or she received
a ballot.
The voter then takes the ballot and enters a voting booth,
usually made private by a curtain.
The technology and ballots used for an election are different
throughout the county. Some precincts are entirely computerized
with touch-screen ballots while others require voters to fill in
bubbles corresponding to the candidate and then feed the ballot
into a machine that will read the vote.
-Does voting really matter to me at this time in my life?
That's a tougher question. Sarah Godlewski, 25, a Washington
patent attorney, acknowledges that the immediate effect of voting
can be hard to see for a young voter.
"They don't understand the connection as far as voting and how
it can impact the community and that their vote can make a
difference," Godlewski said. "I think they feel like another
number."
Boris Sanders, 35, a chief election officer for a precinct in
Northern Virginia, said young people see voting as merely a
symbolic gesture.
"Whether it's that they believe their vote has no real
significance or that somebody else will cancel out their vote or
they're just completely disenchanted with the political system."
Sanders said. "So they choose not to spend the few minutes it
takes to come out."
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On the Net:
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement: http://www.civicyouth.org/
Rock the Vote: www.rockthevote.com
FEC voters guide: http://www.fec.gov/votregis/pdf/nvra.pdf
Federal Voting Assistance Program:
http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html
