Automatic voter registration for college students who register for classes online

[Ada Lovelace]

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-college-voter-registration-20160303-story.html

The proposed law would only be applicable to students at California public colleges and universities.

Excerpts:

MTV has beckoned them to “Rock the Vote.” Lena Dunham and Lil Jon starred in a music video to urge them to “Turn Out for What.”

But across the nation and particularly in California, young voters mostly haven’t. A dismal 8.2% of the state’s eligible 18-to-24-year-olds voted in November 2014, the last statewide general election, making up just 4% of voters that year. Nearly half of young people statewide didn’t even bother to register to vote.

Two UC Berkeley students are looking to change that.

A new proposed law drafted by the Berkeley law students and co-authored by a pair of Bay Area legislators would automatically register students at the state's public colleges and universities when they sign up for classes online.

Young people, especially college students, tend to be the most transient among eligible voters. They move often and don’t always know to change their address, meaning voter pamphlets and other election paraphernalia might be sent to their parents’ homes or lost in the mail.

And even with the advent of California’s new “motor voter” law, expected to be fully implemented by July 2017, many college students also are relatively new drivers who may not need to walk into a DMV for years, meaning they’re less likely to be captured by the state’s new automated voter registration system than others.

But colleges rely on accurate records to send students bills and other important mail, so it's a logical place to start, advocates say.

Voting rights activists and election officials hope that catching would-be voters early may help turn around the state’s shrinking voter participation on a larger scale.

“If you can get someone into the voting process when ... they’ve just turned 18 ... you can turn them into a lifelong voter,” said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation. “We have this window of opportunity in 2016 to engage potentially millions of Californians who have never participated before. And we should make the most of that."

I'm curious to know your thoughts on this.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Well, I think that it may be good as it would take that step out of it of remembering to do it, but at the same time I am not sure that making it mandatory is really the way to go. Although, I do believe in do not vote do not complain.

 

[MoonofIsaiah]

Ridiculous notion being that California has the dream act.

 

[Cimorene]

My thoughts on it -

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Sounds like a great idea!

I never really understood why voter registration isn't already automatic. It doesn't mean you are required to vote, it's just one less hoop to jump through before you can vote.

It seems like there are some elements in our country that don't want us to exercise our right and have our voices heard. I simply can't imagine why...

 

[Fantine]

Oregon has made voter registration automatic with drivers' license and state ID registration, and has made voting available via mail. More people vote and the system works.

Some college students may live at one address during the school year but maintain a legal address with their parents. It's important that they register for those courses at their legal address. Otherwise I think it's a good idea.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Ridiculous notion being that California has the dream act.

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[Tallguy88]

It's good to promote voter registration, but I'm not sure about doing it automatically for one group and not others. Could be seen as attempting to stack the deck with a particular constituency.

 

[Fantine]

It's good to promote voter registration, but I'm not sure about doing it automatically for one group and not others. Could be seen as attempting to stack the deck with a particular constituency.

As voter suppression laws are efforts to PREVENT particular constituencies from voting.

 

[Tallguy88]

As voter suppression laws are efforts to PREVENT particular constituencies from voting.

Nearly 600 people voted at my precinct. Two did not have ID. That's 99.7% of people who had an acceptable form of ID.

 

[Redac]

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-college-voter-registration-20160303-story.html

The proposed law would only be applicable to students at California public colleges and universities.

Excerpts:




I'm curious to know your thoughts on this.

My only thoughts on this are that voting in this state is usually completely worthless, especially in Presidential elections. The Democratic Party will get the electoral college votes, and the popular vote doesn't matter, so why bother? I know the popular idea is that it's always important to vote, but here it isn't. It means absolutely nothing.

Other than my cynicism, though, I don't really see an issue with it.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

My only thoughts on this are that voting in this state is usually completely worthless, especially in Presidential elections. The Democratic Party will get the electoral college votes, and the popular vote doesn't matter, so why bother? I know the popular idea is that it's always important to vote, but here it isn't. It means absolutely nothing.

Other than my cynicism, though, I don't really see an issue with it.

The automatic voter registration would encompass far more than Presidential elections. Even though the primary focus is on the vote for the President, it's crucially important that eligible voters cast their ballots for other offices and measures.

Ridiculous notion being that California has the dream act.

Considering that there are many international students as well as minors enrolled at California public colleges and universities, presumably the system would have safeguards so that anyone ineligible to vote wouldn't be automatically registered. Thanks for sharing your opinion, though I disagree with it.

It's good to promote voter registration, but I'm not sure about doing it automatically for one group and not others. Could be seen as attempting to stack the deck with a particular constituency.

California already has a new statewide automated voter registration system through the DMV that was voted into law last year, was put into effect on January 1, and will be fully implemented by July 2017. When people apply to obtain or renew a drivers licenses or state identification cards they are asked to affirm their eligibility to vote, and are automatically registered unless they decide to opt out. Their information is submitted electronically to the secretary of state’s office, where citizenship will be verified and names will be added to the voter rolls.

The reason for the additional measure to help encourage the youth vote is that this age demographic is significantly less likely to have drivers licenses than older voters, and therefore fewer will be included in the automated registration via the DMV. Though in many areas getting a license on your 16th birthday is a rite of passage, it others it isn't. At my college (Stanford) we're not allowed to have cars on campus for our first year, and the costs of parking permits discourage many upperclassman. I know that several other universities, both public and private, also prohibit first years from having cars on campus, and so those who didn't get their licenses in high school have less of an incentive to obtain one when they start college. Many of my friends who are from major urban cities never got their licenses because they simply weren't necessary. This proposed automatic registration wouldn't be applicable at Stanford since it's a private university, and at the moment the plan is only to provide it at public colleges and universities in California, but we would welcome it if it was available.

I don't view this as stacking the deck so much as trying to balance it since the under-25 demographic has consistently had the lowest voter turnouts at elections for decades.

 

[Tallguy88]

The automatic voter registration would encompass far more than Presidential elections. Even though the primary focus is on the vote for the President, it's crucially important that eligible voters cast their ballots for other offices and measures.



Considering that there are many international students as well as minors enrolled at California public colleges and universities, presumably the system would have safeguards so that anyone ineligible to vote wouldn't be automatically registered. Thanks for sharing your opinion, though I disagree with it.



California already has a new statewide automated voter registration system through the DMV that was voted into law last year, was put into effect on January 1, and will be fully implemented by July 2017. When people apply to obtain or renew a drivers licenses or state identification cards they are asked to affirm their eligibility to vote, and are automatically registered unless they decide to opt out. Their information is submitted electronically to the secretary of state’s office, where citizenship will be verified and names will be added to the voter rolls.

The reason for the additional measure to help encourage the youth vote is that this age demographic is significantly less likely to have drivers licenses than older voters, and therefore fewer will be included in the automated registration via the DMV. Though in many areas getting a license on your 16th birthday is a rite of passage, it others it isn't. At my college (Stanford) we're not allowed to have cars on campus for our first year, and the costs of parking permits discourage many upperclassman. I know that several other universities, both public and private, also prohibit first years from having cars on campus, and so those who didn't get their licenses in high school have less of an incentive to obtain one when they start college. Many of my friends who are from major urban cities never got their licenses because they simply weren't necessary. This proposed automatic registration wouldn't be applicable at Stanford since it's a private university, and at the moment the plan is only to provide it at public colleges and universities in California, but we would welcome it if it was available.

I don't view this as stacking the deck so much as trying to balance it since the under-25 demographic has consistently had the lowest voter turnouts at elections for decades.

If the DMV is doing it too, that's better, being more balanced. My reply to the under 25 non voting much, well getting them registered isn't going to change that. It just might give a few who decide to vote last minute that option.

Btw, I don't understand people who don't vote. I've voted in every national election since I was 18, and most state ones.

 

[HannahT]

The way I'm reading the article is in CA - along with many other states too - the youth vote is dismal. They even go on to note that registration doesn't seem to be priority for this age group either.

So, they seem to feel that voter participation with increase if they tie this to college registration? Okay then. Good luck with that.

 

[keith99]

The automatic voter registration would encompass far more than Presidential elections. Even though the primary focus is on the vote for the President, it's crucially important that eligible voters cast their ballots for other offices and measures.
that there are many international students as well as minors enrolled at California public colleges and universities, presumably the system would have safeguards so that a

For those who are not familiar with California politics we are the land of ballot initiatives. For 20 years (at least) it has been rare for an election to not have at least one state wide initiative where the choice is pretty clear, even after the attempts to confuse the issue. Add in local districts and there has not been a single election where there was not at least one clear ballot choice for me.

It seems to me that the best possible protest vote is to actually go in and vote, but not for the office where all the choices are bad. It makes it clear a real voter is protesting.

On the general topic I think I'd oppose it unless there is a provision for private colleges to be able to hook into the system and provide the same services to their students. I'm not thrilled with the idea of making it automatic that students at Cow Tech (the nickname of a local Junior college) while not for Cal Tech, Stanford, Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Scripts, U.S.C. and scores more better schools.

 

[grandvizier1006]

.

 

[MoonofIsaiah]

staff edit

America's becoming a country where you will be prosecuted in some way even outside the law for daring to yelp when there's pain.

A blanket voter registration activist measure isn't stating there will be safeguards to insure only the eligible will be blanketed. Especially when , blanket, delivers by definition its own connotation first.

Though really this measure in this respect is just the next level when we recollect that there are states that allow illegals to have what citizens are told is a privilege for them; driving licenses.

Idiotic first and foremost is allowing law breakers the rights and privileges reserved for law abiding citizens. When a nations government wants to make unlawful people taking up residence, squatting in essence, on that nations property that nations government is surrendering to an invasion by policy.

 

[Cimorene]

The automatic voter registration would encompass far more than Presidential elections. Even though the primary focus is on the vote for the President, it's crucially important that eligible voters cast their ballots for other offices and measures.



Considering that there are many international students as well as minors enrolled at California public colleges and universities, presumably the system would have safeguards so that anyone ineligible to vote wouldn't be automatically registered. Thanks for sharing your opinion, though I disagree with it.



California already has a new statewide automated voter registration system through the DMV that was voted into law last year, was put into effect on January 1, and will be fully implemented by July 2017. When people apply to obtain or renew a drivers licenses or state identification cards they are asked to affirm their eligibility to vote, and are automatically registered unless they decide to opt out. Their information is submitted electronically to the secretary of state’s office, where citizenship will be verified and names will be added to the voter rolls.

The reason for the additional measure to help encourage the youth vote is that this age demographic is significantly less likely to have drivers licenses than older voters, and therefore fewer will be included in the automated registration via the DMV. Though in many areas getting a license on your 16th birthday is a rite of passage, it others it isn't. At my college (Stanford) we're not allowed to have cars on campus for our first year, and the costs of parking permits discourage many upperclassman. I know that several other universities, both public and private, also prohibit first years from having cars on campus, and so those who didn't get their licenses in high school have less of an incentive to obtain one when they start college. Many of my friends who are from major urban cities never got their licenses because they simply weren't necessary. This proposed automatic registration wouldn't be applicable at Stanford since it's a private university, and at the moment the plan is only to provide it at public colleges and universities in California, but we would welcome it if it was available.

I don't view this as stacking the deck so much as trying to balance it since the under-25 demographic has consistently had the lowest voter turnouts at elections for decades.

I probably won't have a license when I start college, so yep it would definitely help out someone like me to have automatic registration from signing up for classes. I think it will be trickier too since I'm an American but we live in Canada now. Idk how that will work. I guess I'd use my college address. I don't know that I'll go to college in California so I'll have to sort out voter registration wherever I'm living. If I end up at a school like U of Chicago I probably won't get a license there either bc there's no need.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Could be seen as attempting to stack the deck with a particular constituency.

Or for candidates of one party or the other...

 

[Tallguy88]

I probably won't have a license when I start college, so yep it would definitely help out someone like me to have automatic registration from signing up for classes. I think it will be trickier too since I'm an American but we live in Canada now. Idk how that will work. I guess I'd use my college address. I don't know that I'll go to college in California so I'll have to sort out voter registration wherever I'm living. If I end up at a school like U of Chicago I probably won't get a license there either bc there's no need.

Americans living abroad can vote using an absentee ballot, at least in national elections.