I know e-voting and computerized voting present their own set of problems, but how about a computer or database of people who are eligible to vote? I don't think that's asking too much.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Today's Vote
So I go to vote today and after standing in line for 20 minutes, a volunteer shuffles through a stack of papers to find my name for eligibility. Then, once I'm cleared, I'm able to vote. I enter the voting machine, which had to be at least 75 years old. I have voted before, but it is a confusing process. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to vote and when I was done, I was unsure if I did it correctly.
I know e-voting and computerized voting present their own set of problems, but how about a computer or database of people who are eligible to vote? I don't think that's asking too much.
I know e-voting and computerized voting present their own set of problems, but how about a computer or database of people who are eligible to vote? I don't think that's asking too much.
Why so few people vote
Everyone makes it sounds so easy. MTV, rockthevote.com, punkvoter.com and countless other organizations urge people to register and think it is a simple and easy task. It isn't. Registering to vote is confusing and hard!
Registering to vote can't be accomplished online. You have to download forms, print them out and mail them in. That's assuming you know your correct district and county. Try calling one of the help numbers and you'll be on hold for hours only to eventually talk to a volunteer who really doesn't want to help you.
If you're persistent enough to find the right forms and where to mail them, how do you know if your registration was received and is valid? You don't. Sure, if you plan ahead and do it months in advance, you'll get something in the mail telling you where you should go on election day. Most voters aren't thinking about registering months in advance. Just like taxes, they wait until the last possible day. Most voters have no idea where to go on election day and don't know if they're really registered.
It's time for registration to be completed online. Voting online is a different story and will be another post, but there's no reason why we can't register to vote strictly online. We pay bills and taxes online. Why can't a system be developed that enables us to register and receive an email confirmation?
The bottom line is that registering to vote isn't as easy as everyone makes it out to be. I moved 4 times in the last 4 years. I was registered, so do I have to register again? Do I go to another polling station? Good luck trying to find those answers. The whole system of registration is abominable and needs to be updated!
Registering to vote can't be accomplished online. You have to download forms, print them out and mail them in. That's assuming you know your correct district and county. Try calling one of the help numbers and you'll be on hold for hours only to eventually talk to a volunteer who really doesn't want to help you.
If you're persistent enough to find the right forms and where to mail them, how do you know if your registration was received and is valid? You don't. Sure, if you plan ahead and do it months in advance, you'll get something in the mail telling you where you should go on election day. Most voters aren't thinking about registering months in advance. Just like taxes, they wait until the last possible day. Most voters have no idea where to go on election day and don't know if they're really registered.
It's time for registration to be completed online. Voting online is a different story and will be another post, but there's no reason why we can't register to vote strictly online. We pay bills and taxes online. Why can't a system be developed that enables us to register and receive an email confirmation?
The bottom line is that registering to vote isn't as easy as everyone makes it out to be. I moved 4 times in the last 4 years. I was registered, so do I have to register again? Do I go to another polling station? Good luck trying to find those answers. The whole system of registration is abominable and needs to be updated!
Welcome!
Welcome to Shifting Power. The purpose of this blog is to discuss topics on a daily basis that relate to young voters. The needs of young voters simply aren't being addressed, and for good reason. Young voters don't vote. Why should politicians try and help us when we don't help them keep their jobs?
As young voters enter college and the working world, we're just now discovering that we're getting screwed. 1/3 of our paycheck is taken from us and we have no idea where that money goes. Whether you're about to turn 18 or staring down 30, you're considered a young voter and your voice is never heard. This isn't one of those blogs that will talk about corny topics like how we all need to band together. This blog will simply tell it like it is and talk about all the issues that affect you and how politicians will say keywords and phrases to sound like they're addressing our needs - but they're not.
As young voters enter college and the working world, we're just now discovering that we're getting screwed. 1/3 of our paycheck is taken from us and we have no idea where that money goes. Whether you're about to turn 18 or staring down 30, you're considered a young voter and your voice is never heard. This isn't one of those blogs that will talk about corny topics like how we all need to band together. This blog will simply tell it like it is and talk about all the issues that affect you and how politicians will say keywords and phrases to sound like they're addressing our needs - but they're not.
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