Spring Break
Youths who don't vote get fleeced
Issue date: 10/16/08
On February 3, 1870 the movement towards universal suffrage was born when blacks were given the right to vote. Years later in 1920, this right was extended to women. And a century after the movement began (in 1971) under the slogan "Old enough to fight, old enough to vote," suffrage was finally extended to those aged 18. Our nation has gone through a century of struggle to give this basic right to these three groups. Yet only two out of the three - women and blacks - realize their societal duties and cast their ballots. As I sat down to interview Hopkins political science professor Benjamin Ginsberg, he quipped, "So you're writing about the youth vote? Well, the thing is, they don't!" And if the past is any indication of the future, the elections this November will be no different.
Although not the most politically experienced constituency, young people aged 18 to 24, are the largest (with 44 million people, e.g. more than one fifth of the electorate) and the most ethnically diverse according to Rock the Vote, an organization aimed at getting the youth to vote. This makes the youth perhaps the most comprehensive representation of the views and interests of U.S. citizens! Yet they are the most underrepresented. A meager 47 percent of youths vote compared to 73 percent of seniors between 65 and 74, according to Brian Faler of the Washington Post.
So why don't the youth vote? Two reasons. The first deals with the pragmatic obstacles to voting. A good portion of the youth is comprised of out-of-state college students, and this poses many complications to the voting process. Do you get an absentee ballot? And where do you get one? What state do you vote in: your home state or your college's state? As Ginsberg put it, "Many students tell themselves 'I don't know where I should vote. Therefore I should not vote.'"
So to clear up all these issues, I will tell you right now. First you need to register to vote. If you're a Maryland resident (i.e. have a utility bill in your name, a lease, etc) you had until Oct. 14 to register. There is a new national registration form that you can download online from www.declareyourself.com, which does an excellent job of clearly explaining the voting process for each state.
Although not the most politically experienced constituency, young people aged 18 to 24, are the largest (with 44 million people, e.g. more than one fifth of the electorate) and the most ethnically diverse according to Rock the Vote, an organization aimed at getting the youth to vote. This makes the youth perhaps the most comprehensive representation of the views and interests of U.S. citizens! Yet they are the most underrepresented. A meager 47 percent of youths vote compared to 73 percent of seniors between 65 and 74, according to Brian Faler of the Washington Post.
So why don't the youth vote? Two reasons. The first deals with the pragmatic obstacles to voting. A good portion of the youth is comprised of out-of-state college students, and this poses many complications to the voting process. Do you get an absentee ballot? And where do you get one? What state do you vote in: your home state or your college's state? As Ginsberg put it, "Many students tell themselves 'I don't know where I should vote. Therefore I should not vote.'"
So to clear up all these issues, I will tell you right now. First you need to register to vote. If you're a Maryland resident (i.e. have a utility bill in your name, a lease, etc) you had until Oct. 14 to register. There is a new national registration form that you can download online from www.declareyourself.com, which does an excellent job of clearly explaining the voting process for each state.
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