Page 10
University Daily Kansan, October 13. 1982
Standard voter lists vital, prof says On campus
By DAN PARELMAN Staff Reporter
American democracy is in danger of being bound and gagged by special interest groups, a KU political science professor said recently.
The professor, Russell Getter, said special-interest groups do warn if governments did not standardize voter registration lists.
Getter, who has formed a computerized campaign firm, said Douglas County kept the most inconsistent county lists and 16 county lists his firm had processed.
OF THE 16 counties, Douglas County had the lowest percentage of registered voters to vote in the 1980 election, Getter said.
"It has also, without question, the worse set of voter registration material at this time."
Douglas County's 32.8 percent turnout is abysmal, even considering that 20,000 of Lawrence's 80,000 people are registered in other counties. Getter said.
GETTER SAID he had thought a lot about voter registration since last spring, when he and Bill Maxwell, micro coordinator at the KU academic computer center, started Voter Information Management.
VIM had the Kansas Democratic Party buy registration computer tapes from 16 counties, which represent 70
percent of the registered voters in Kansas, Gettler said. He said he would have helped Republican candidates and not the party, who had not asked for his help.
Next, Getter and Maxwell cleaned up the lists, many of which had incomplete zip codes and the same street names listed several ways.
Then, with a computer, VIM processed the lists according to the candidate's
FOR INSTANCE, for legislative candidates who wanted to sway the votes of independent voters, VIM would print on note cards the names of all the independent voters in a district or area and label labels for those people. Getter said.
He said his attempts to organize voters by street were muddled by lists, such as Douglas County's, that showed him spelling and abbreviations for streets.
If Ninth Street is listed as Ninth Street, 9th street and 9th St., then a computer will process Ninth Street as three different streets, he said.
BUT PATT Jaimes, Douglas County clerk, said, "Our computer doesn't seem to have any problems with the lists."
She said old lists showed different versions of the same street, but all new voter's addresses were written the same way.
the political process because they made it hard for candidates to see who on each street was not registered and then had them re-registeration remains unregarded, he said.
"What we wind up with is minority governments," Gutter said.
He said governments, such as that of Italy, elected by a minority of the populationell apart.
Getter said sloppy lists endangered
UNSTANDARDIZED registration lists also fueled the growing power of special-interest groups, Getter said. Political action committees, groups formed to raise money for candidates, and other interest groups have raised millions of dollars for candidates by direct mailing and their own voter lists.
Direct mailing is a campaign technique in which a group sends letters to a certain group of people, and using a specific issue, asks for money or votes.
Getter said inconsistencies among registration lists from county to county also hurt the political process. The state party cannot use registries to list lists constituted by mail when the lists differ throughout the state, he said.
IN THE ABSENCE of party and candidate control of direct mailing, the interest groups who can raise thou- guish a field of candidates have a field day, he said.
"If you're a politician of modest means, you have to sell out, in some sense, your position."
"I see the evolution of democracy in this country being generally tested."
Getter said he favored state laws that would standardize registration procedures.
THE DEMOCRATIC candidates who have bought Getter's and Maxwell's services say VIM's reorganized lists are on the ground around the duanity of county registration.
Joan Wagnon, a legislative candidate from Topeka, said VIM's lists saved her mailing costs because they grouped voters in one house, rather than separating them as the regular lists did.
Larry Turnquill, legislative candidate from Salina, said VUM's list had also helped him stop mailing more than one letter to each house.
Gетter said, "One political veteran told me, "For the first time I now know what it was like to be a president."
The man mailed his first poll in 16 years in politics, using a VIM list,
"In 10 years you're going to see practically every candidate have his own computer system with his own set registered voters on that system," he said.
KAPPA PHI
A campus organization for
University Women
Call 842-9780 or 842-2078
TRAINS & MODELS 15% - 40% OFF selected items
prices good through Sunday, October 17
- Large selection of 1/135th Tamiya military models
- Aircraft model featuring Otaki, Fujimi, & ESCI
- We special order!
230 Locust, Lawrence, KS
841-4204
BACCHUS
12th "Wescoe Happening" 1-3 pm Control Demonstration 7 pm
October Events
Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students PRESENTS "3rd Annual Drug Awareness Week"
13th Guest Speaker at Oliver Hall 7 pm "That Could Never Happen to Me."
Minsky's Munchers, Wednesday nite is your nite to MUNCH OUT
with
16th Sweetest Day Parly/Post-Game Rally
Party open to all Templin Hall 8 pm-12 am Entertainment by: KOKOMO
MINSKY'S COLOSSAL COMBO NITE Just $3.50 For All You Can Eat
178c Conference Kansas Union 12 pm-5 pm
Children 12 and under just $2.00 So Minsky's Munchers, March Down and Munch Down on Minsky's Colossal Combo Nite—Tonight
2228
iowa
No Carry out or Delivery on this Special.
Other sopecials not valid with this offer
842-0154 We Deliver
944 MASSACHUSETTS ST. FRI, OCT 15 and SAT, OCT 16
GRAND OPENING
Our Everyday Low Prices Include . . .
CHIPS
FOOT-
LONGS
CELLI
KRAUT
POLISH
SAVAGE
Candy Bar
DILL
SLICK
Beer Brewing
Coca-Cola
24¢
65¢
15¢
57¢
12¢
25¢
TODAY
CATHOLIC CENTER WORSHIP will be at 12:30 p.m. in Danforth Chapel.
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS CLUB will have a games meeting at 7 p.m. in the Trail Room of the Kansas Union.
NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENT
Organization funcheon meeting will be
held on Tuesday, December 16th.
UNIVERSITY FORUM, "Economics of Alternative Fuels," will be at 11:45 a.m. at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries Center.
GERMAN CLUB will meet. at 4:30
p.m. in 4046 Wescoe Hall
SIERRA CLUB will present a
BLACK STUDENT UNION walk will begin at 7 p.m. between Hashinger and Elsworth Halls. A meeting will follow at 7:30 p.m. at the Satellite Union.
multimedia show at 7:15 p.m. in the
Javhawk Room of the Union.
LIFE IN CHRIST SERIES, "Or-
ganizational Room" at 8 a.p. in
the lingualian room of B. de
Saint-Jacques.
TOMORROW
EPISCOPAL WORSHIP service will be at noon at Danforth Chapel.
GERMAN CLUB will have Stammstisch, reserved table for lunch, at 11:45 a.m. in the Cottonwood Room of the Union.
MARANATHA CAMPUS Ministries will meet at 7 p.m. in the Jayhawk hall.
KU RWOUND AND SHIELD will meet at 7 p.m. in the Oream Drum of the Utra
NOON FORUM with Gov. John
Carlin will be at 12:30 p.m. in 104 Green
Way.
Shown are two of the latest in diamond grading equipment by McQueen Jewelers. Our 30 years of experience with confidence—knowing that your selection has been carefully evaluated for cut, color and clarity—will ensure you get the most value for the store "where happy decisions are made."
809 Massachusetts
Phone 643-5432
GEMOLITE
Family Plan
LARGE
LARGE SUPREME PIZZA
PITCHER OF PEPSI OR DRAW BEER
15 GAME TOKENS
$995
pat metheny group
Wednesday·October 27·1982·8:00 p.m.
Hoch Auditonum·KU campus
presented by KANU 92 FM
Tickets: $9, $8, $7
$1 discount for KU students with ID.
Ticket: Locations
Lawrence: SUA Keil's
Kansas City-Penny Lane Records
Topeka-Mother Earth Records
October 27 Hou Audium box office
Process benefits public radio station KANJ
(