I posted this a few days ago during a time of day when everyone was probably working...Duh everyone was working and did not read this. I haven't reposted a diary before so I do not know if I need to quote myself. If I have to correct something let me know.
Over the last five days, I have read several stories on voter roll purging. Some helpful background.
I am calling to action our political science professors, history professors, high school teachers, and any other teaching position that can help instruct our students on the process of voting.
I am an election judge within my county. The county has placed me at one of the campus dorm polling stations for several elections. I noticed at least 50% of the students are clueless about the process of voting, which is alarming. While at the polling station during the primary and the 2004 election, we had to turn away or give provisional ballots to nearly 100 students (we only had 100 voters, so we could have doubled our numbers). I am suspicious of the provisional ballot due to issues in the past with the 04 and 06 elections. Most of the 100 students stated that someone on campus had signed them up to vote. I can believe that, however, we had no record of their registration, nor did the courthouse-so no vote. Other polling stations had the same issue.
Now imagine losing 100 votes per campus dorm or polling station nationwide. Greg Pallast mentioned this scenario in Armed Madhouse. Another thing that happens in July/August is the courthouse mails out voter information to the campus. This is when all of our dorms are closed. The information is returned to sender, they can be purged, and this person can be challenged if they try to vote. Within our county, they allow a couple of election cycles, and we have to ask for proof of address.
Another little trick within the state of Illinois is if one party has more registrars (people officially allowed to register voters), the other party can challenge those registered. Guess what-in my county, not one single new registrar, for the GOP, has been added this year. I cannot imagine this is a single phenomenon. The county clerk recommended that schools should use nonpartisan groups such as the NAACP and the League of Women voters.
We are running out of time so here is my call of action.
Professors and high school teachers, (if you can-I don’t want to see anyone get into trouble with their schools if not, I understand), please inform your students how to register to vote-each state is a little different with laws so I cannot get into specifics for all fifty states. Be familiar with your election laws. (this applies to anyone that knows an 18 year old or older who is unfamiliar with the voting process)
- Tell them even if they registered last year, check with the county to see if their name is on file.
- If they moved, they have to reregister.
- If someone recently asked them to register on campus, have them verify with the county that their name is on the roster.
- If it is not, go to the courthouse and register.
- Remind them even after your lecture-did you check to see about your registration.
- Schedule the League of Women’s Voters to come in and help register.
- Give them a couple of extra credit points for registering or if they have already completed registration, give them points for having an accurate card. Then give them one or two points for voting-some professors did this at my university.
- If they are registered back home, tell ask them to find out when they need to get their ballot sent.
- Then, if the student has trouble with voting on election day- tell them to press the issue. Call the courthouse, contact their party chair, or contact the media.
- You might want to start a text messaging system where you text them deadlines and reminders.
This election is too important and our students know it, they just don’t understand the process. Hell, I don’t completely understand the process. But when we turn these kids away from voting to make history, we discourage them from future participation in democracy.
Update:
Registration rules for 50 states. Thanks skrp23
Translator has some interesting thoughts so I added parents too.