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| GenXnow | September 2002 |
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Register to Vote: It Is Now or Never A professor at the University of Texas once told his class that seniors were fixing to get a prescription drug benefit and proceeded to laugh at the students in front of him. He said, “This is a group that has an average net worth of a quarter of a million dollars, and your tax dollars are going to pay for it – and why? Because you don’t vote!” He is right. There is an advertisement on 3rd Street in Greenwich Village that portrays an election ballot, with all of the choices pointing to a referendum labeled: “All bars will close at midnight.” Some organization for the youth vote created it. The ad is right. The youth of America could lose their most precious treasures at elections across the country without even knowing it. Young people simply do not vote, and if the election of 2000 has taught us anything, it has taught us that your vote matters. Even a lack of a presidential election provides each citizen with a true opportunity to make an impact on his or her community. The Congressional elections will be hotly contested this year, and the control of the federal government is in the balance. For information on the federal elections go to www.fec.gov. Locally, your city, county, and state elections make even more of a difference in your life. For election coverage in your area, try typing in wherever you are from .gov, and that ought to about do it. One popular site for nonpartisan election coverage is www.pollingreport.com. I recommend their polling stats for any would-be politics junkie. Your local websites will help you learn more about the goings-on of your particular community. This urgent note comes to you in September, because you need a good 30 days plus to register to vote. Election day is the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. In order to get your voter registration card in time, you need to register soon. You can register to vote at just about any post office or DMV around the country. You can also print out the registration form from www.fec.gov and mail it in. Registration is free, but unless you get the actual registration form from the post office, there is a charge for postage. Remember, if you are away at school, you need to either (1) register to vote in the county where you now reside at school, or (2) apply for absentee balloting. Either way, you need to plan ahead and register. Voter registration is now easier than it has ever been. One hundred years ago, African Americans had to endure the most coercive of resistance in order to vote. One hundred and fifty years ago, anyone had to show proof of some property to vote. Today, you need simply have an address to show residence. You don’t even need to own the address. The bottom line: there is no excuse for not voting. If November 2000 taught us the importance domestically, September 2001 taught us the absolute necessity of voting internationally. Voting is not only an exercise of freedom, voting is a protector of it as well. For more information on elections around the world, visit www.electionworld.org. |
