Elections 2008 (information for students thread, not a political rant)

[shoebox10]

<p>So Tuesday is Election Day. I've discovered why so many college students don't vote: the options are terribly confusing. I'm already registered to vote in VA, but in my hometown prescient, not C'ville. I got an absentee ballot, and plan on sending it in later today, tomorrow at latest (I assume 4 days is enough for a ballot to get the 100miles home). However, Dean J's blog mentioned being able to vote at a campus location (UHall/Alumni Hall). What's the deal with this? My roommate thinks she can also go vote early at any election office, as long as it's in VA, and she is registered in C'ville.</p>

<p>And let's not go off on McCain vs Obama rants. It would be beneficial to all current students and incoming first years next year (since they'll vote in 2012, which is fall before they graduate) to know this type of info.</p>

[cavalier302]

<p>I’m in the same situation minus having an absentee ballot (whoops). I’m debating whether or not it’s worth it to drive all the way home just to cast a ballot for a third party candidate. Probably not.</p>

[Dean_J]

<p>If you changed your registration to your residence hall or apartment, you can vote here. There were people around grounds for a while with the paperwork required to change your registration (including a certain admission dean you all know :)), but the deadline for doing that has passed. </p>

<p>Absentee voters can vote by mail or in person at City Hall until November 1st. The deadline for designating yourself an absentee voter was yesterday. Here are the accepted reasons for voting absentee:

* A student, or the spouse of a student attending school outside the City of Charlottesville.
* A person who will be away from the city on business or vacation.
* A person who is unable to vote in person because of a disability or illness, or the primary caretaker of a confined family member.
* Pregnancy
* A person confined awaiting trial.
* A member of an Electoral Board, a Voter Registrar, an Officer of Election, or Custodian of Voting Machines.
* A person with a religious obligation.
* An active duty member of a U.S. Armed Forces or the U.S. Merchant Marine, their spouse and dependents.
* A person temporarily residing outside the continental limits of the United States.
* A person that will be at their workplace and commuting for 11 or more of the 13 hours the polls are open.

</p>

<p>I know it’s a little confusing! [The</a> city’s voter registration site](<a href=“Charlottesville, VA | Official Website”>Charlottesville, VA | Official Website) might be helpful.</p>

<p>Here’s the information specific to college students on that site:

Registration and Voting Information for College Students
College students may have questions about how to register and where to vote in Virginia. The following information is specific to college students and explains residency requirements for voter registration and special absentee privileges for certain students.</p>

<p>How do I register to vote in Virginia?
A college student registers to vote in Virginia the same as any other applicant: every prospective voter must submit a voter registration application. Remember, you must update your voter registration information whenever you change your residence.</p>

<p>Every voter in Virginia must submit their residential address when registering to vote. (A mailbox cannot serve as a residential address.) If you are unable to receive mail at your address, you must also submit a local mailing address. A dorm or college address can be an acceptable residential address and does not disqualify you from voting.</p>

<p>What is my residence?
A prospective voter must be a resident of the precinct where he seeks to register. In order to establish “residency,” a prospective voter must have a physical location where they intend to stay for an unlimited time. The applicant must determine and declare their residence and may change their intent at any time.</p>

<p>How do I vote?
A college student votes in the same manner as any other registered voter: you may vote in person on Election Day or, if eligible, by absentee ballot.</p>

<p>Students who will be absent from the locality where they are registered to vote because they attend school in another locality are eligible to vote by absentee ballot. For example, a student registered to vote in Charlottesville but attending school in Blacksburg may request an absentee ballot from Charlottesville. However, a student registered to vote in Blacksburg and attending school in Blacksburg could not vote by absentee ballot, unless otherwise eligible. Absentee votes may be cast in person in the locality where the student is registered or by mail. To request a ballot by mail, an absentee ballot application must be received by the General Registrar no later than 5:00 p.m. on the seventh day prior to the election. In-person absentee voting continues through the Saturday preceding Election Day.</p>

<p>Students registered in another state may wish to visit the U. S. Election Assistance Commission’s website, [Welcome</a> to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission — U.S. Election Assistance Commission](<a href=“http://www.eac.gov%5DWelcome”>http://www.eac.gov), for election information specific to their state, district or territory.</p>

<p>Impact on Other Areas
Legal residence for voter registration purposes may or may not be the same as legal residence for census, driver’s license, federal and state income tax, state vehicle tax, tuition, or financial aid purposes. The State Board of Elections and local election officials are not trained in these complex areas. You should consult appropriate advisors regarding these issues.

</p>

[shoebox10]

<p>Well, I didn’t change my residency, but I do have an absentee ballot. Looks like that’s my only option. Boo. Better get that in the mail tomorrow.</p>

<p>So, the people around grounds were great. But, personally, I think even more information about voting options were needed. Those little handout paper thingies describing the different options would have been great. The VA voting site is a mess, IMO. College kids, myself included, are in too much of a bubble…it’s like we’re in kindergarten and need our hand held But for most of us, it’s our first time voting in such a major election. But thanks for the help Dean J, you’re our resident “mom” :)</p>

[canuck01]

<p>The options are confusing, but voting absentee was easy. Tick a box, and put it in the mail. What bothered me the most was having to go find a stamp to mail the ballot back.</p>

[shoebox10]

<p>Hahah you think they’d make it free. I think that will be the next rant: people can’t vote because they can’t get a stamp</p>

[Dean_J]

<p>

I think even more information about voting options were needed.

Agreed. I was surprised that “training” took less than five minutes…on the day there was confusion about whether Virginia Tech students were allowed to vote down in Blacksburg. I don’t think all volunteers were prepared to answer questions about that.</p>

[shoebox10]

<p>Maybe the administration should look into this. We’ll be electing a governor next year, senators and reps will be up in two, and a president again in four. College kids have most likely never voted before, much less with an absentee ballot. And many students, myself included, may not want to vote absentee due to the common thought that they are not counted. You think more attention would be laid on college students, especially at a politically-driven school like ours.</p>

[guillaume]

<p>My D is in Blacksburg and she said everything was very well organized there. She got to switch her registration from home to Blacksburg and they will have shuttle buses taking students to voting places. All her friends are planning to vote and they are very excited.
I am very saddened by all the cynicism here in particular on the other election thread.</p>

[shoebox10]

<p>Many people switched successfully, but many just never knew and November has creeped up on us. UVa, too, is offering shuttle buses to polling places, and plenty are voting absentee. I, just personally, would have preferred to vote in person, and never quite understood my options (Obama people were always on-grounds signing people up, and they always gave conflicting info, including telling me twice that I have to register in my hometown…so maybe it wasn’t UVA)</p>

<p>Also, I wouldn’t view the other thread as cynicism. It’s healthy, political debate. No one is ever going to like candidates 100%. It’s important to debate points to maybe cause others to delve into deeper research about an issue they hear about. College kids tend to always be a little more anti-gov’t though, just because we tend to be more “rebellious”. I imagine you endured the 70s and the Vietnam War, and can remember your peers and their protests and such. Same thing, only our protests are online on blogs.</p>

[Protean]

<p>they tried getting people to vote in cville for a good month before the deadline. I thought it was pretty easy for those wishing to switch localities or even switch from their hometown state to Va. Oh and I myself did not switch, voted absentee for the 3rd year in a row (I wonder what it’s like to vote in person…)</p>

<p>oh and shoe- you can check online to see the status of your absentee ballot (if they’ve got your application, if you received your ballot, etc)</p>

[shoebox10]

<p>Yeah, but those people often had wrong information. Then there was the thing were a large number of applications to register were wrong. I applied and received my absentee ballot a while back, so that’s not the issue. I just think there should have been a greater effort to get out clear, simple information at a widespread level.</p>

[canuck01]

<p>The Obama people were definitely out there registering people to vote…if I was asked one more time if I’d registered, I might just have lost it.</p>

[vistany]

<p>Shoe, mail the ballot asap.</p>

<p>I looked into it myself and it was stressed how important it was to mail the ballot in well before the election.</p>

[Dean_J]

<p>

if I was asked one more time if I’d registered, I might just have lost it.

The alternative is what I saw on multiple college campuses in the pasts: no voter registration efforts at all.</p>

<p>Despite all the “Rock the Vote” and Headcount campaigns in the past, I have never seen groups (and we had multiple groups on grounds, not just ones affiliated with campaigns) as active on a college campus before. </p>

<p>I didn’t mind being asked if I was registered constantly. I was happy to see all the activity!</p>

[shoebox10]

<p>Yeah me too, it always reminded me to send in my absentee ballot. Someone actually came around our apartment complex and collected forms, so I never even actually mailed mine in.
I think the level of participation was great. But my main point is just that there was never a clear set of info that said “here are your options”. The volunteers often gave out misleading info, which is why I never knew I could switch my locality until a few days before the deadline. One group should have taken the initiative to hand out flyers or something with correct, clear, to-the-point info.</p>