A few big ideas for you to carry around.
So why did young people surge at the polls? Its clear that voting was contagious. Everyone talked about it. They got into it. The bought into it. They believed. And they turned out.
That didn't happen by accident. It happened in part because a group of influencers or opinion leaders or whatever you want to call them, the people that other young people listen to, were saying that this election mattered. And a lot of those influencers were other young people. If your friends vote then you are more likely to vote. Peer pressure works for drugs and voting.
That's our power, too.
Where do we go from here? We continue with what works: talking to friends, co-workers, and peers about how to fight for our future. We push for change.
Let’s be big and bold. And at the same time smart and practical.
So now I'd like to present a few ideas for you to carry around.
First: Let’s get rid of Election Day---by having every election last for two weeks.
You've probably wondered why Election Day isn't a holiday, or a Saturday, or just about any day that would be more convenient than Tuesday. Certainly a lot of reformers have called for that. But wouldn’t it be better to have Election Day last for two weeks? Think about it.
In Florida, the elections officials are proposing to do just that (Reg req'd). Here's the opening graph: "Florida's election supervisors, impressed by the success of early voting, proposed dramatic reforms Tuesday that would eliminate Election Day, replace it with an 11-day election season and do away with precincts."
That would be huge.
Second, let’s get rid of voter registration deadlines by allowing people to register in advance or all the way up through the final day.
In states that allow voter registration on Election Day, young people vote at nearly 14% higher rates. That’s proof that voter registration deadlines prevent voting. Really, our whole system of voter registration is designed to prevent people from voting, not to make it easier. You want more info on the idea check here.
So: 1. expand early voting so every election lasts two weeks, and 2. allow voter registration all the way up through the final day.
Get people thinking. It works.
P.S., we're about to start revamping our blog to make the format more friendly and etc. Any ideas let us know.
That didn't happen by accident. It happened in part because a group of influencers or opinion leaders or whatever you want to call them, the people that other young people listen to, were saying that this election mattered. And a lot of those influencers were other young people. If your friends vote then you are more likely to vote. Peer pressure works for drugs and voting.
That's our power, too.
Where do we go from here? We continue with what works: talking to friends, co-workers, and peers about how to fight for our future. We push for change.
Let’s be big and bold. And at the same time smart and practical.
So now I'd like to present a few ideas for you to carry around.
First: Let’s get rid of Election Day---by having every election last for two weeks.
You've probably wondered why Election Day isn't a holiday, or a Saturday, or just about any day that would be more convenient than Tuesday. Certainly a lot of reformers have called for that. But wouldn’t it be better to have Election Day last for two weeks? Think about it.
In Florida, the elections officials are proposing to do just that (Reg req'd). Here's the opening graph: "Florida's election supervisors, impressed by the success of early voting, proposed dramatic reforms Tuesday that would eliminate Election Day, replace it with an 11-day election season and do away with precincts."
That would be huge.
Second, let’s get rid of voter registration deadlines by allowing people to register in advance or all the way up through the final day.
In states that allow voter registration on Election Day, young people vote at nearly 14% higher rates. That’s proof that voter registration deadlines prevent voting. Really, our whole system of voter registration is designed to prevent people from voting, not to make it easier. You want more info on the idea check here.
So: 1. expand early voting so every election lasts two weeks, and 2. allow voter registration all the way up through the final day.
Get people thinking. It works.
P.S., we're about to start revamping our blog to make the format more friendly and etc. Any ideas let us know.
posted by Hans Riemer at 7:09 PM
1 Comments:
This is an absolutely terrible idea. I'm a political science major at DePaul University and, trust me, we have discussed such reforms in many of my classes. They are clearly not brilliant. Getting rid of voter registration, or allowing same day registration for that matter, gives absolutely no time at all for states to be sure that the registered voter is indeed a resident of that state. With same day registration it would be extremely easy for pretty much anyone who lives near a state's border to vote in both states. Vote early in the day in one state and simply drive across the border, with a piece of mail addressed to you at a friend's house - who happens to live in the other state - and then register and vote in the other state. We already have a problem with many people being registered in more than one place WITHIN states. We don't need people being registered and voting in two DIFFERENT states now. Not to mention, of course, that same day registration or no registration leads to droves of voters who may be voting without putting any thought into it but simply on a whim.
As far as spreading the election out over 2 weeks, do you also propose to limit the freedom of speech of the candidates by not allowing them to campaign over those two weeks? What about the media? Are there plans to limit their free speech as well? We already have enough of a problem with media reporting early in the day before polls on the west coast close. Now we'll get 2 weeks of election results rolling in? It's a well acepted fact that media reporting CAN effect people's votes. There will be people who simply don't vote because their candidate SEEMS to be losing. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We already have this problem in the current primary system - let's not extend it to the general election as well!
I'm posting anonymously because I do not want to sign up for this blogger website just to make this post. However, if you'd like to contact me you may do so at: b k o p p e (AT) s t u d e n t s {DOT} d e p a u l [DOT] e d u (sorry for the formatting of the address, but I'd rather not get a ton of spam by posting my e-mail address).
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