DESPITE the intense voter registration drives before the 2008 elections, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission estimates that only 82 percent of eligible Virginians are actually registered to vote. That means that 18 percent of Virginians have not claimed their right to vote, excluding themselves from one of the most fundamental aspects of civic participation.
University students are not immune from this indifference. I've spent the past few weeks tabling outside the Observatory Hill Dining Hall registering students to vote, and every week I am shocked by the handful of students that say that they don't want to register to vote. It's not that they're busy or previously registered; it's that they just don't want to register to vote.
Refusing to register to vote is akin to refusing one of the greatest birthday presents of all time. Every U.S. citizen, unless they have committed a felony or been declared mentally incapacitated, is given the right to vote on their 18th birthday. It's a gift that suffragettes and civil rights activists have fought hard to give to you, and policy-makers continually work to protect the right for you to vote as a citizen and college student. The ratification of the 26th Amendment in 1971 lowered the voting age so that college-aged students can vote. A 1979 Supreme Court ruling protected the right of college students to register at their dorm address. A 1998 federal law began requiring all colleges to make a "good faith" effort to register college students. You, a college voter, are valued by your government.
All you have to do to accept the gift, which enables you to have an input in who represents your interests in government, is to register to vote - a process that takes just a few minutes. The voter registration application contains only 7 questions, many of which are yes or no questions. You can print out the application online and mail it in yourself, or pick one up from one of the many groups around Grounds. Just make sure that your application is received by 5 p.m., Oct 12. You have just over two weeks!
The next step is to take the initiative to vote. Voter registration apathy and voter apathy are separate issues, but if you are registered to vote you at least have the option of voting (though your registration is meaningless if you don't actually vote). If you're too busy to vote on Election Day, you have other options. You can participate in early voting, for one. The Perriello for Congress campaign is providing vans from Grounds to the Charlottesville and Albermarle registrar's office every weekday from now until Oct. 30, so you can vote in person (and still get your 'I Voted' sticker!). Full-time college students can also request an absentee ballot.
Your vote counts, especially in Charlottesville. The Fifth District congressional race, which includes Charlottesville, has been ranked by publications like U.S. News & World Report as one of the hottest races to watch in the nation. Last election, Congressman Tom Perriello (D-Charlottesville) won by 727 votes - the smallest margin for house races nationwide. Your vote will help determine who wins the race and represents you in congress. But first you have to register.
Yet in 2008, only 48.4 percent of unregistered voters registered to vote and only 58.5 percent of college-aged citizens (18-24 years old) voted according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Why aren't these numbers higher? Are you part of the group of unregistered voters? Registering to vote and voting are both easy processes that give you more control of your government. Even if your candidate isn't selected, your voice has more weight if you write to your representative as a registered voter as opposed to an apathetic bystander. Don't exclude yourself from your own government - register to vote and tell your friends. In 2010, let's show Virginia that University students take the initiative to participate in their government by having a high rate of voter registration and follow through by turning out to vote.
Krista O'Connell is a first-year student in the College.
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