Voting Change Allows Students to Register with College Address
September 28, 2009 • By Ryan Platt,
Print This Post
Email This Post
HARRISONBURG, Va. — The Commonwealth of Virginia hopes to make registration easier for students after the State Board of Elections unanimously passed changes to a statute regarding student voter registration.
The updated statute, passed in August 2009, allows college students to declare their dorm as their place of residency. The statue says that a person’s place of residence is considered the physical place where they live.
Voter turnout from college students in recent years has proved to be less than enthusiastic, according to Harrisonburg City Registrar Debbie Logan.
Last year’s registration numbers reached close to 4,000 and were impressive enough to cause an overflow in voters, causing the city to change voters’ polling locations. Logan attributes this to the surge and the excitement centered on both a presidential election year and the historical significance of Barack Obama’s candidacy.
“We would love to see [the enthusiasm] carry on,” Logan said.
While the new regulation will affect some schools like Virginia Tech, JMU is unaffected by the changes, as Harrisonburg has always allowed students to list their dorm as their place of residency, Logan said.
Although registration numbers are noticeably lower this year, Logan noted that it is still early, and potential voters have until Oct. 5 to register. Students can register to vote with the registrar on campus on Mondays and Tuesdays in Warren Hall.
Applications are also available at the registrar’s office, the Harrisonburg Public Library and the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Last year’s presidential election brought major attention to the problem with student registration, after then candidate Barack Obama held a voter drive at Virginia Tech and the local registrar falsely warned students of hefty fines for incorrectly stating their place of residence. The complications arose out of the statute’s ambiguous wording that forces registrars to interpret it on a case-to-case basis.
Senior Lauren Gilbert, president of the JMU College Democrats, is optimistic about the changes and sees the importance of voting in local elections in addition to national ones as a great opportunity for college students to get more involved in college towns. She pointed out that students spend a much larger portion of their year — between eight and nine months — at the college they attend, versus the sparse time spent at their home for occasional breaks.
Junior Andrew Patchan, chairman of the College Republicans, said it’s important for students to be involved in the democratic process.
“We’re the ones more than anyone in the country that will have to live with the decisions made by current lawmakers,” Patchan said. Students are “becoming aware of the possible repercussions of the government, and they want to be involved and do something about it.”
Why bother to take the time to get registered, learn about the candidates, and get out and vote in these smaller elections? When asked if she planned on voting in the upcoming election, freshman Kelsey Fisher replied, “Voting for what?”
Election positions this Nov. 3 include state Attorney General, representatives for the House of Delegates and most notably Virginia State Governor. Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell are running against each other.
Members from both the College Democrats and Republicans encourage students to register, and they plan to hand out applications for voting and absentee ballots on the Commons.
Though there is not a federal election this year, both groups say it’s still important to vote.
“The more localized politics are, the more they have an impact on our lives,” Gilbert said. “Even though Richmond is two hours away, the effects are felt every day.”
Contact Ryan Platt at plattrf@jmu.edu
Comments
One Response to “Voting Change Allows Students to Register with College Address”
Got something to say?
Check Out New Videos!
March 4, 2010 Issue in Print
2010 Baseball & Softball Guide
[...] of Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations. In some states, such as Virginia, students can now register to vote and declare their dorm room as their place of residency. Other [...]