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The Election is in the Air!
COUNTDOWN
TO NOVEMBER 2
Tuesday,
October 11, 2004
Also:
read the latest STAND news in WAND's
News Bulletin. |
I hope all of you are registered and planning to vote in November!
My goal is to have all my friends and family registered
and out to the polls; I hope it’s yours, too. Particularly
as young women, our demographic is completely
underrepresented in the polls.
Let’s make moves to show up in unprecedented numbers and lay claim to our political
rights! Young women, a powerful political voting
bloc: what a concept! This Holler is all
about voting: short, sweet, and to the point!
1.
Voting: Ideals vs. Strategy
It's
going to be a tough call come November. The political
arena is a flurry of excitement and anticipation
for what the election will bring. Where does all
this excitement leave your average Jane? Particularly
polarized or apathetically indifferent?
While
the Democrats and Republicans are duking it out,
where are the little guys? The Naderites,
Greens, and the Independents are also vying for
their 5% in this upcoming election. And the ever-controversial
debate is as pertinent as ever: Should one vote
for who they really feel should be President?
If one's vote is their voice, shouldn't people
send a message out to the Big Dogs if they feel
their issues are not being addressed? They say,
"I'm not taking my vote away from the other
parties, they failed to win my vote."
On
the other hand, the proponents of strategic voting
claim that - especially in close elections - a
vote for a third party in America is a throw-away
vote. Though wonderful in ideal, it is
not seated in reality. One must be a strategic
voter and make sure that while voting for the
third party person who is their first choice,
one is not simultaneously voting inadvertently
for their last choice.
Both
sides pose very good arguments indeed, and there
is no clear-cut answer. One must take both sides
into consideration when making their decision. A
voter has a very heavy burden indeed; to be both
educated and opinionated on election day is a
meaty task. But people should not let fear and
laziness overcome them. Get off that fence
and be confident that no matter how you vote,
as long as it is a personal decision based on
personal convictions, you will have exercised
your voice.
2. Get involved in the
November Election
You
heard me, VOTING! Easy voting ideas for the busy
student.
1.
Voter inspiration party: host
a small soiree the night before November 2. Fun
easy things to do.
-
Have snacks and drinks, and watch C-SPAN!
-
Have some champagne (real or sparkling J) and make toasts to a hopeful future.
-
Have a political potluck. Good food and friends!
-
Have a t-shirt party. Everyone wears a white t-shirt. You
provide permanent markers. Everyone puts their
affiliation on their shirt: Republican/Democrat/Independent.
Let the comments and fun fly!
2.
Carpool.
-
Organize a carpool on your hall, in your dorm, among your
friends, etc.
3.
Convince 5 people to vote.
-
Simple, easy, and rewarding.
4.
Get on board with voter campaigns at your schools.
It's not too late.
3. Your Student Voting Rights
COMMON
MYTHS ABOUT STUDENT VOTER REGISTRATION
MYTH:
"You can't register where you go to school.
You must vote absentee from your home address."
REALITY:
You are legally allowed to vote wherever you are
"domiciled." What that means is that
if you consider the town where you go to school
to be your home, you can register to vote from
that address.
MYTH:
"You can't register to vote if you live in
a dorm."
REALITY:
Any student living in a dorm is entitled to the
same rights as any other student. To imply otherwise
is illegal. If you receive mail in a Post Office
box, you can sign an affidavit (or, in some cases,
get a letter from your college's Residential Life
office) asserting that you live at your dorm address.
MYTH:
"You might lose your financial aid if you
change where you are registered to vote."
REALITY:
There are many different sources of financial
aid. Only in-state grants consider your residency
status.
- Federal grants and loans are not affected.
- Except for Delaware and Virginia, state-issued
education grants are for in-state use and
should not be affected by a change in your
county of residence.
- In Delaware and Virginia, state-issued education
grants that are used to attend an out-of-state
college are awarded only to students who intend
to maintain permanent residence in state.
However, voter registration alone cannot disqualify
a student from receiving financial aid.
- There are many private sources of financial
aid, all with different qualifications. However,
none of the top 20 private providers of student
loans consider where a student registers to
vote when awarding a loan.
MYTH:
"You can lose your health insurance if you
register to vote where you go to school."
REALITY:
The vast majority of college students
are covered through either their parent's insurance
provider or through their school. School-based
insurance will not be affected by voter registration.
If you are on your parents' health insurance,
you will not lose coverage if you register to
vote where you go to school, as long as you continue
to meet the criteria of your insurance provider.
