For nearly 40 years, Maine voters enjoyed same-day registration. During that time, not surprisingly, our state could often boast of having the nation’s highest percentage of voter participation. Over the past 10 years here in Farmington, local Republicans periodically complained about the way in which University of Maine at Farmington students would go to the polls and take advantage of this same-day registration to cast their ballots.
These complaints were apparently based on the fear that masses of these young liberal carpetbaggers would sway local elections and somehow derail our fragile political system. These worries always seemed foolish to me. Maybe it’s because I think getting young people to the polls to cast their first vote is something we should encourage any way we can. Or maybe it’s because of all the UMF students I see still running around at rugby practice in their Elect Lance Harvell T-shirts.
In the last legislative session, a Republican bill to abolish same-day registration became law, and now Maine citizens must register to vote at least two business days before an election. To be sure, this is not most onerous roadblock to voting ever devised by man, but it will undeniably keep some people from voting on election day.
This impediment troubled enough Mainers that it will be the subject of a people’s veto referendum when Mainers go to the polls next on Nov. 8. Perhaps as it should be, Maine voters will decide how easy they want to make it for their fellow citizens to cast their ballots.
What troubles me more than the change in Maine’s same-day voter registration law is the way in which Republican officials have made this a political issue. First, Charlie Webster, the head of Maine’s Republican Party, made a well-publicized complaint that 206 ballots might have been in some way fraudulently cast by local students who had enrolled at Maine colleges from what were initially out-of-state addresses.
Webster’s complaint was investigated by Maine’s Secretary of State, Charles Summers, and it proved to be basically unfounded. It’s what Secretary of State Summers did next that is most troubling. He sent a letter to each of the 206 students named in Webster’s complaint, and with those letters he attached a handy form so each of the students could conveniently remove themselves from Maine’s voting rolls.
You can read the letter Secretary of State Summers sent at the bottom of the following blog: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8799
Summers’s letter warned these 206 students that Maine’s motor vehicle laws required that, as residents, they needed to both be licensed to drive and to register their vehicles here in the Maine. To be fair, this legal advice was basically correct – nobody gets to decide to simultaneously be a resident of one state for one purpose and another state for other benefits that second state has to offer.
One problem I have with Secretary of State Summers’s letter is that it was written in such an intimidating and inaccurate way. In an effort to discourage students from voting here in Maine, he painted Maine motor vehicle laws with too broad a brush. First, because if you come to Maine from out-of-state but without a vehicle, I do not believe there is any law that requires you turn in an otherwise valid out-of-state driver’s license. It is only when you’re driving a vehicle here in Maine that it matters. Second, because some students come to Maine with an out-of-state vehicle primarily registered to their still out-of-state parent, these students similarly have no duty to re-register these vehicles.
What troubles me most about Secretary of State Summers’s letter is that it was written at all. These 206 college students will presumably spend at least 75 percent of their time living in Maine for the next four years and maybe for many years longer. They have as great a stake in what happens here as the rest of us, and we should be happy that they are taking the time to care about the community they have chosen. It is unfortunate that Maine’s Secretary of State has nothing more worthwhile to do than try to intimidate them from getting involved in the political process.
Well said…
Wow, if you found that letter intimidating, you must be scared of walking on a wet lawn.
You can’t have it both ways either Mr. Hanstien, you can’t find hes legal advice to be “basically correct” and then turn around and say it was written in an “inaccurate way.”
I don’t necessarily agree with Republicans, but I do on this issue. If out-of-state UMF students are going to live here in Maine and want to vote, then they can contribute to the taxes by registering their cars and getting Maine driver’s licenses. Most student don’t stay in the area year-round and most don’t make Maine their permanent home. Whether the car they are driving is registered out-of-state or not, if the car is driven in Maine I think they should register their car here, too. I’m tired of the out-of-state students voting on some long-term issues when in fact they are short-term (and not even year-round) residents. Just saying…..
Students want to vote, but they don’ t want to take five minutes out of their busy lives to register. They couldn’t even vote in town if it hadn’t been for DEMOCRAT Gwil Roberts, a long-time prof. at UMF, getting the law changed. Now REPUBLICANS are asking the students (mostly) to register TWO business days prior to the election. For SHAME on those nasty REPUBLICANS!
But the excuses the Democrats have come up with for NOT registering ahead a time is totally juvenile. The excuses are some of the most lame statements I have ever heard. Basically what it comes down to is the lack of responsibility. No one takes responsibility for anything anymore – from walking across the street to eating junk food to make them fat. It’s always someone else’s fault.
Frankly, I’m sick of the excuses.
SweetPea, that conflicts with US Supreme Court rulings, such as Symm v. United States. The US Constitution also prohibits requiring the payment of a tax in order to vote.
This letter was meant as intimidation pure and simple. If it was not, then the Secretary of State’s office would have done their research and determined which students had cars registered to themselves and not their parents as these are the only students affected by this provision. To send a blanket letter does nothing but to provide a chilling effect on potential voters. In a state with the oldest population in the country and an overwhelming number of young residents leaving the state due to the frigid economic climate, it seems that it would behoove us all to welcome young potential wage earners to our state. Demonizing them does nothing but make the entire state look bad and hurt us in the long run.
This letter; which I have read several times now, doesn’t seem intimidating at all to me. Although I do think Charlie Webster needs to get a hobby, I think people are making way too much over this letter. If you want to vote in a state you need to be a legal resident, which in my opinion means you follow the laws to declare yourself a resident of that sate. To point that out to someone to me is not intimidation. Also, if participating in the political process by voting is important to you you’ll find a way to get to the town office 2 days before the election. To me two days prior is not unreasonable, 2 weeks or 2 months yes but not 2 days.
Wow- I read the letter from the Secretary of State, and I guess you and I have very different definitions of the word “bullying”. A student is either a resident of Maine, or a resident of somewhere else, and that shouldn’t change on election day. The real issue here isn’t “did voter fraud occur?”, the real issue is “does eliminating same day registration reduce the opportunity for voter fraud?”. Based on that question, the Secretary of State is taking the more secure approach. Our election laws should make voting convenient, but also make defrauding the system practically impossible. Eliminating same day registration is a positive step toward that balance that 42 other states already recognize. Please consider the following information from the Secretary of State’s investigation:
6 non-us citizens were found to be registered in Maine
77 voters were registered in Maine and another state
There is an 84% error rate in voter registrations – 73% of those errors were made on Election Day
In three of the last 10 general elections, there were more registered voters than voting-age citizens in Maine, but the statewide database failed to remove all duplicates.
More than 2,200 active registered voters listed no street address.
More than 1,450 registrants were listed as being more than 200 years old, a reflection of the default birthday that is assigned when a registrant leaves the date of birth blank.
178,000 registered voters are shown to have registered to vote on January 1, 1850.
Does that sound like our system is too restrictive?
Thanks for the opportunity and the forum to disagree, Woody.
God Bless America.
I think that if the college age group were primarilary republican we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. The fact is Charley Webster has it out for most college students because they tend to vote more liberal. You cannot say as a student that lives in Farmington 9 months out of the year we do not know what is going on. Maine is an old aging state and being a Maine resident that spent time at a school out of state colleges should encourage students to want to live in a state like Maine once we graduate or else we are going to take our education and use it elsewhere thus hurting the state. It is intimidating to send a letter like that because students that don’t own their car did not need to recieve he letter and the state did not send the forms to maybe change their residency just what it took to remove your maine right to vote. The letter was ment to shake the young public and it did. Also before you shame people for only living in the state 9 months of the year think about the mass amount of retired people that spend their winters in a warmer climate like Florida, do you really think they get a new license every time they switch back and forth between states that they live in?? Not a chance. Personally I would rather have the people that are actually in the state for the majority of the year to have an opinion.
I still say lets have State issue votes in June and all would be solved.
I wonder if Secretary Summers would consider investigating “Snow Birds” who vote in Maine and have car registered in Florida? Isn’t that just a much a violation according to this logic. We are talking about the right to vote, a basic foundation of our democracy and our nation. That has not been and never should be based on whether or not someone has or registered a car, has or pays taxes on a home, or has a license from the state. I think the right for legal citizens of the country to vote trumps some paperwork at the town office. This is clearly a political game.
I have to go with Charlie. UMF students only vote for what their teachers tell them to. The faculty takes bleary eyed students under their wing and promote the liberal way of life. A student is not a resident, period. Yet the bleeding hearts in Augusta, who only want votes or who really want the liberal only point of view, continue to fondle the young people. If the issue was really and honestly investigated, you would find voter fraud. Not just in Maine but all across the USA. Our sec. of State did not really investigate the issue. Students from away are NOT Maine residents. What is so difficult to understand?As long as the cowards in Augusta kiss up to the Umaine system we will never have a real vote taken during any year. How can a student living in a dorm from say NJ, be considered a Maine resident? A resident of Maine lives on property that is taxed. The Umaine system pays no taxes. So lets see. A dorm that is not taxable is not true permanent dwelling, so anyone living in same is just a passerby who cannot vote. Yupp, our sec of State did a fine job of investigating the issue. It is unforunate that Maine taxpayers contribute to a liberal only college system.
I think students would have to be pathologically timid to find the Secretary of State’s letter frightening; and in my observation of UMF students I don’t think they are pathologically timid. I think they will use their common sense and realize that (a) if they don’t have a car nobody will penalize them for not registering a car, (b) if they don’t drive nobody will penalize them for not getting a Maine driver’s license, and (c) if there is any further ambiguity about their obligations vis-a-vis residence it can be checked out. If the letter failed to mention these points, maybe it just gives the students credit for common sense.
I have not as yet been convinced that same-day registration does any harm. Voter lists I have seen are indeed badly out of date, but I don’t think this is caused by same-day registration. I’m not sure what causes it. I do wish that the subject could be discussed without people on either side attributing vicious motives or tactics to those on the other side.
To say that students are not residents is just a simple tactic to disenfranchise a young voting block. These students devote a large part of their lives to this state and pay the same state sales tax as anyone else. No, they do not pay property taxes, but neither do their in-state counter parts who live in the dorms as well. If they are not allowed to vote in the state that they reside in 9-10 months out of the year then their are only two options. 1) Return to their home state to vote (which imposes an often insurmountable financial burden) or 2) to obtain an absentee ballot from a state that they only spend the summers in and may not meet criteria to be a resident there. We Mainers need to stop being so afraid of those from “away.” College students are not an invading horde from parts unknown and can contribute a great deal to this state if we let them.
Jeff Bailey, Snow Birds have to choose one state to be there primary state. They cannot register their car, vote, file taxes, etc. in different states. It has to be their primary state. This is usually the state they spend the most time in. I had to research this for my parents and because they are from Maine, even though they spend six months in Maine and six months in Florida, they were advised to use Maine as their primary residence since they have always filed taxes and voted here.
Former UMFer, I agree that students do pay sales tax; everyone does! It doesn’t matter whether you’re a resident or visiting in ANY taxable state, you pay sales tax. How does students voting in their home state impose “an often insurmountable financial burden” for them? Have you ever heard of an ABSENTEE BALLOT? These ballots are sent from students’ local town/city office and returned via mail! Certainly they can afford a postage stamp!
I think students can find time to register to vote whether republican OR democrat BEFORE voting day. It’s called being organized, responsible, and MOTIVATED! Students don’t need to be so lazy. They can get off their butts and register like any other person!
Sweetpea: Yes I have heard of an absentee ballot, that is why I mentioned them in my post.The problem with forcing students to utilize absentee balloting is that they are then voting on issues in a state that they do not live in most of the year. Why should they vote on local issues in a state that they are not living in? These students come to the state and pay tuition which creates a huge number of jobs. They also spend money in Maine at Maine businesses which is a boon to local economies. What is wrong with making them part of the fabric of the community that they have chosen to reside in? The only reason to make it difficult for a person to vote is fear of how they will vote, plain and simple.
Also, it did not say when any of these students registered. Who knows how many of them utilized the election day registration law? Many of our own state politicians registered to vote on election day. The problem is the Secretary of State singling out these students and harassing them when all they did was engage in their civic duty and vote.
Let’s see. You buy something online from Maine, pay the tax and you live in another State. So now you can vote here? Thousands of visitors pay Maine sales tax yet they cannot vote here! And four years is a big part of their life? So that makes them eligible to vote here? And just what do they buy in Maine….fast foods and spirited beverages.
I appreciate that some people will view Secretary of State Summers’s letter differently than I do, which is the reason I wanted people to be able to read it for themselves.
To the extent some writers feel it’s relevant, they should go to the UMF website and see just much money these young students are contributing directly to Maine’s economy: An out-of-state student at UMF pays $9,088 more than an in-state student pays (it’s “only” $4,192 more under certain New England Regional Programs). This is in addition to the $8,168 that every student pays in room and board if they live on campus.
Some of these young folks are going into debt up to their eyeballs to get an education in Farmington, and virtually all of this money is going directly to the state of Maine. I respect that people may disagree with me about where these students should vote, but all of us should be grateful and flattered that they have chosen to come to Farmington for their education.
To dismiss them as a group that’s only good for buying fast food and booze (I don’t know what principles you were fighting for A VET) does them all a great disservice.
I always find it disappointing when apparently paranoid “conservatives” like Mr. A Vet promote the idea, in one form or another, that the educational system in this country is a liberal plot to advance a liberal way of life. Mr. A Vet goes so far as to say university students “only vote for what their teacher’s tell them to”. If, however, Mr. A Vet had ever bothered to properly educate himself he would understand that he himself is also a “liberal”, as is anyone else living in this country who believes in freedom, democracy, and the right to own property. The word liberal comes from the Latin word “liberalis”, which means very simply “of freedom” and deals specifically with the importance of liberty and equal rights among individual citizens of a state. Mr. A Vet, you are categorically wrong in your accusation, as are all others who, in one fashion or other, promote the idea that education is a liberal plot to advance a certain way of life. If you served this country you are, almost definitely, a liberal, for you served to defend this country’s core values, which just so happen to make up the exact definition of the term liberal: freedom, liberty and equal rights.
Raise the voting age to at least 25.
It takes most “normal” people that many years of life experience to know what’s really going on and what they really support.
Whether it be filtering thru the Super Lib Professors agendas they were subjected to just trying to get an education or maybe ultra conservative old fashioned parents…Either way,it all takes a while.
It has nothing to do with smarts or ability,,,,,
These fine young people are only the product of their environment,,,
Complete immersion in an Ultra Lib environment (like UMF),,,,can skew someones perspective ..
I also believe it can be overcome with time and real life….
Know What’s,,,It’s Democracy and for some reason it actually works..
No, buying one thing and paying Maine sales tax does not give you any sway. Spending four years here and contributing to an economy and supporting a community does. Since when is four years not long enough to live somewhere to have your opinion matter? Jaded attitudes about college students do not change the facts. College students contribute to the communities they live in. They spend money. Many of them hold jobs. Many of them Truly care about the communities they live in. And many of them choose to live here after experiencing what Maine has to offer. Its no wonder we cannot convince young, college trained individuals to stay in Maine when we disenfranchise them, bully them,and treat them like we do not want them here. If the Maine economy is ever going to stabilize, we need a fresh infusion of young, skilled workers to replace the aging working population that currently comprises our state.
Well put Mr. Hanstein.
Dave T: UMF does an amazing job of educating students and teaching them to think for themselves. They are not int the business of skewing perspectives, and an education from there is not something to be overcome. I have plenty of friends, both liberal and conservative, who were educated there and their perceptions are not skewed as you put it. Yes democracy does work. But to say that these people are deficient in some way and shouldn’t be allowed to vote until they are 25 is in no way democratic.
Webster and the conservative GOP just need to figure out how to get more Republicans in college so they can vote for his party
Jeff said “I wonder if Secretary Summers would consider investigating “Snow Birds” who vote in Maine and have car registered in Florida? Isn’t that just a much a violation according to this logic. ”
Good point Jeff. Most of those guys are Republicans who are too cheap to pay their fair share in the state they worked in and the town that educated their children
They take a tax break on their 401k plans and then run off to Florida so they will not have to pay back the taxes that were deferred
Hey “alledgedly former UMFer”…….
I doubt that most of us “wicked old locals” have much problems with young folks,,,
I’m sure that any reasonable person does have an issue with narrow minded intolerance…
So,,,,,What was going on at UMF when the Young Republicans were shouted down?
Don’t be a Hater ‘dude.
Former UMFer,,,
“These People???”
Did I say That,,,,,?
Nope wrong again…
I meant everyone,,,,not just college people..
I know you can read,,,,,,,,
That’s not what I said,,,
Either you know that’s not what I said and are just trying to put words in my mouth,,or you are truly lost in your own combat,,,,Either way,,
Attempting to make it look like I’m picking on College Kids,,,, NIce Try But
Shame on You..
I am a college grad,,,my kids are too….
I have many conservative and liberal friends,,,
A spade is a spade no matter where you find it…
Yes,,,UMF is a good school in many aspects…
It’s also a biased environment,,, like it or not.
This is just a fact.
Doesn’t mean everyone involved in it are that way,,,
But everyone who disagrees with you isn’t an old paranoid local either,,,
Oh,,,did you say “that” earlier,,,
Maybe I can get someone to read it back to me.
Charlie Webster is biased as well as any lawyer from away,,,(Woody can handle that just fine btw)
But this is America,,
I Love it here!!
See what you stirred up Woody!!!!
Mr Hanstein
Thank you for the bringing forth the discussion.
I might as well say a few things up front:
I am a registered Republican, and have been since around 1982. I consider myself a moderate. I do not vote the party line.
Mr Webster DOES NOT speak for me.
I came from away, having lived a large part of my life in Pennsylvania. I attended a conservative catholic university in Indiana, and have worked after graduation in Brooklyn, NY, Bethlehem, Pa, Easton, Pa, Warren, Pa, Lock Haven Pa, North Adams Massachusetts, Madison Maine, and Jay Maine.
I have gone where work took me, and my family has been gracious enough to accompany me.
I currently work in Farmington Maine, and have lived in Wilton for nearly 14 years.
My three children have all gone on to attend college, in three states so far. My son is attending school in Maine, using one of our Maine registered cars, and will likely vote in the next election! Our eldest has graduated, and is working in her chosen field She is driving our Maine registered car in another state where she works. When she has the money, she will buy the car from us and register it apporpriately. The third is enrolled in school in New York, hopefully studying hard, and still enjoying life when she can (She does not have a car at school).
My wife graduated from a conservative southern university, and recently earned a graduate degree from St Josephs College in Maine. She did drive a Maine registered car back and forth to Standish from Wilton, and voted while she was enrolled. She is also a registered Republican, and a moderate (I think).
We encouraged each of our children to register to vote when they were of age, and to become informed about the candidates and the issues before they voted. We suggested they not vote if they were not familiar with the issue or the candidates.
When our children were very young, but aware of life, they did accompany us into the voter booths.
Maine’s same day registration came into play last year for our youngest. A week BEFORE election day I took her to town hall to register, which she did. I was with her, she was ready to vote!
We went to vote the next week, and low and behold her name was not listed on the voter registration list. On election day, she resubmitted her name for registration and was allowed to vote.
In her opinion and in mine, same day voter registration worked very well for her first election.
All political parties should campaign to get more of age citizens to register, to become informed on the issues and candidates, and to vote. We should not be trying to intimidate or hinder them in any way.
We can argue about who should be allowed to vote, and where, but we must respect the most current rulings of the Supreme Court
We should welcome people and invite them to participate, not insult them for where they are from, or for what we think their opinion might be. We need people to care about what they do, where they live, and the people around them. We should not make it more difficult to vote.
We should be willing to discuss ideas, the good points and the bad points, and argue accordingly about the idea, not the about the person presenting it.
As a voter and taxpayer in Maine, I fail to see the benefit of having the Secretary of State chase down 200 or so college students and prod them into paying up for car registrations as a result of investigating their names for voter fraud. He must have too much time on his hands, or too many people working for him in his office.
I would rather see more efforts to fund preschool education, than to see efforts to discourage voting.
The bigger issue appears to be the 178,000 people with birth dates in 1850. What is the bigger problem? A possible 200 fraudulent voter registrations or 178,000? Were the 178,000 all college students? Were any of them college students? Did they all register on a very hectic election day?
Is this an issue of lots of noise and no substance?
Now for a little fun:
Since the investigation turned up around 178,000 voters with birth dates of 1850, are we open for business as the land of the Zombies?
Since the investigation turned up around 178,000 voters with birth dates of 1850, will the Secretary send each one an embossed and hand signed birthday card celebrating their longevity?
Since the investigation turned up 178,000 voters with birth dates of 1850, will the Secretary be sending each an invitation to drop off the voter registration rolls? Or a hand crafted birth date revision form?
With the in depth investigation completed, or at least partially completed and politicized, was it found that some of, most of, all of, or none of the 178,000 with birth dates in 1850 registered on election day?
Should we pass a law that anyone born in 1850 can no longer vote? Any takers? Such a law would certainly have an impact!
Now back to being serious.
We should all take the responsibility to register to vote, become informed on all sides of the issues and candidates on each ballot for local, state and national choices, and vote. If we feel strongly about an issue or a candidate we should work for that issue or candidate.
We should also take the responsibility to encourage others to become informed on the issues, to register and to vote. We should not stand in the way or put barriers up to prevent voters from exercising their rights as decided upon by the Supreme Court.
Participation is liberating.
You do not need to be a conservative or a liberal to participate, but you must be willing to accept the consequences of the elections, at least until the next election!
Yes, I am a proud UMF alum, not an “alleged former UMFer.” In my time there, I found UMF to be a wonderful place, filled with a diversity of people and ideas. I attended young republican events even though I was an independent and was treated great. I found the town to be filled with great people who were kind and always ready to lend a helping hand. I have family that live in the area. I have nothing against the residents of Farmington. This is bigger than Farmington. Throughout the state in several other college towns (In my personal experience Brunswick and Waterville) college students are treated like a burden. The entire state has a closed minded attitude toward young people from out of state. I am not a hater. I love this state and want it to have a long and prosperous future. Actions like those by the Secretary of State discussed in this article work in direct opposition to that. Mr. Hanstein has done a great job highlighting a real problem with our states view of college students that if not changed will negatively impact our economic future.
Monies paid for an education, go to the schools, not the general public. Yes, the business people in Farmington are nice. They want student business. Let’s see….the UMF students murder each other and get away with a slap on the wrist and they steal signs, of which nothing will happen. Let a Townie do something and BANG he/she is jailed. We have a double standard here.
UMF’s “contribution” is a factor in Farmington’s economy. But relying on the information produced by a UMF website….don’t think so. I’d like to know how much money the town has had to raise in the form of taxes to support the extensive amount of “non-taxable” property that is now part of UMF’s campus. I’m thinking they’re a wash.
I see more log trucks go by then UMF students. The woods industry is what really contributes to the success of Farmington. The truck owners buy fuel, equipment, and pay taxes.
First of all, it’s 2 days! Get over it and register to vote, you can actually go and do that RIGHT NOW! Instead of sitting here whining about the slight change. 42 other states have the same law or even higher time limits (this includes blue & red states!). For some to state that the letter was intiminating is laughible, if they can watch and support their peers in topless parades, have William Ayers come to speak to them and sort through their classmates garbage, I find it hard to believe the mentioned letter scared any of them in any way. & “IF” they did indeed vote illegally, it’s good that they are now aware, someone is on to them. G-D bless the Maine and G-D bless the USA.
Thank you for your logical response to this nonsense that, as one of the 206 students, I have been trying to make sense of for months now.
In my opinion, and that is all it is, an opinion…….I think the issue here is not so much the change, but what prompted the change. Yes, Jeesh, 42 other states have changed their same day registration laws and some to more than 2 days. But why all of a sudden the need to change this law? I for one do not think it has anything to do with voter fraud. But has everything to do with a statement that was made by Senator Mitch McConnell when he said in essence that the Republicans were going to see that President Obama was only a one term president. Since then they have done everything possible to make this happen and one of the things is to have as many states as possible change the voter registration laws. This may not have the impact on the northern states such as New England, but will definitely have a big impact on the southern states which is what they are hoping for. It’s a shame that in this day and age there is still the prejudice that there is and that the Republicans are running so scared that they are tarnishing their names and the name of their party. Whatever happened to “Let the best man win” no matter what party he or she was associated with.
I sincerely hope that all eligible UMF students register and vote. Please do.
They CAN register on election day. I hope they do it earlier, just so Charlie doesn’t get his knickers in a twist and go off on another hissy fit, but they dont have to.
They DO need to vote, it is our duty as citizens, no matter how much young voters scare republicans.
What is Charlie Webster REALLY afraid of?
Could it be the fact that educated young people have more sense than to buy into the Fox “news” line of extreme right wing drivel?
Phillips reader, this is a state issue not a Government issue (something MANY struggle finding the difference), MOST states already having tougher election laws in place, YES! even Massachusetts. Whatever the reason(s), I don’t think it’s asking too much to have people pre-register to help out the towns people in making sure votes are legit. In today’s day and age, it’s our democracy we need to value, trust and protect
I think the 2-day law causes people to be more educated about who they vote for and what the issues are. They’ll be forced to think about it first.
Can someone explain why they think this is some sort of republican plot to make it impossible for those of the liberal mindset to vote. Wouldn’t changing from same day registration affect ALL non registered voters equally? It wouldn’t matter if your republican, democrat, independant, green, or tea party.
It’s a Republican plot because Democrats got thrown out of power last year and they just can’t accept that the reason was their record. No, no, their loss must be due to nefarious machinations by the other side. Curiously, same-day registration was in effect last November, but the mantra is Republicans stole the election.
zaphod: Educated young people (I’ll let others debate whether this is an oxymoron) fall into about the same proportions of political views as any other group. Unfortunately, the most vocal have swallowed the non-Fox “news” line of extreme left wing drivel.
Flam: A quick review of the vote indicates that ending same day voter registration passed only in a special session and without a single Democratic vote. One need not hypothesize a sad-sack D-team fearing R theft of elections to see machinations afoot. Nonetheless, I appreciate your ability to obfuscate in favor of the indefensible. Also, nice slam on the less-than-geriatric set. All hail the ossified.