While the Obama campaign is seeming to downplay what's going on in Virginia per the following NYTimes article, I am dismayed to hear that students trying to register to vote in Virginia are getting harassed by certain county election boards. I'm hoping that the Democratic governor, our friend Governor Kaine, will step in and immediately clarify the situation. Apparently the Republican-led Virginia legislature is sitting on their hands in regards to these voting registration problems. Hmmm, wonder why.
Voter Registration by Students Raises Cloud of Consequences
The widespread practice of students’ registering to vote at their college address has set off a fracas in Virginia, a battleground state in the presidential election.
Late last month, as a voter-registration drive by supporters of Senator Barack Obama was signing up thousands of students at Virginia Tech, the local registrar of elections issued two releases incorrectly suggesting a range of dire possibilities for students who registered to vote at their college.
The releases warned that such students could no longer be claimed as dependents on their parents’ tax returns, a statement the Internal Revenue Service says is incorrect, and could lose scholarships or coverage under their parents’ car and health insurance.
After some inquiries from students and parents, and more pointed questions from civil rights lawyers, the state board of elections said Friday that it was "modifying and clarifying" the state guidelines on which the county registrar had based his releases.
This is bullshit. Nothing gets me madder than seeing Russian-style vote suppression by the Putican Party.
Also per the article, some Virginia counties aren't accepting dormitory addresses in registration forms despite a Supreme Court ruling saying that students can vote where they attend college. How can they vote if they can't register where they live?
This is outrageous and classic vote suppression.
Governor Kaine, please get to work.