AROUNDTOWN
MONDAY, AUGUST 18,2008 53
Election Day involves more than showing up to vote
Register before Election Day, get up-to-date on the issues to make a vote count
BY RAMSEY COX
rcox@kansan.com
The 2008 Presidential Election is Tuesday, November 4. That may seem like a ways off, but a student's busy schedule can make the voter registration deadline sneak up. If a voter is not registered by their state's deadline, they can only cast a provisional ballot in the Presidential Election, which may or may not be counted.
The deadline for voter registration in Kansas is Oct. 20.
"Of all the years to become engaged in the electoral process, this is the year," said Jenny Davidson, communication director for the Kansas Democratic Party. "Especially as a young person — we're facing record gas prices, rising food costs, an out-of-control health care system and month after month of job losses. As young Americans, we can't afford to let the country continue to head in this direction, but nothing will change if we don't go to the polls and vote for change."
The Kansas Democratic Party and student groups like Young Democrats, University of Kansas Students for Barack Obama, KU College Republicans and Students of Liberty plan to register students on campus. Students can also find voter registration forms at the local library, post office, city hall and online at the Kansas Secretary of State Web site www.kssos.org.
David Greenwald, Overland Park senior and KU College Republican, worked on Republican campaigns, registering voters during the summer.
"It's important to vote because 18- to 24-year-olds are under represented," Greenwald said. "If we don't, politicians don't address issues relevant to our age group."
If a student is already registered to vote, but wants to change where they are registered because they have
moved to a different district or state, they need to fill out the same voter registration form by the deadline. The same form is also used to change party affiliation.
Some students register for advanced mail ballots for convenience or because it is easier to vote in their home state or district while living in Lawrence for school. The Kansas advanced mail ballot registration deadline is Oct. 31. The advanced mail ballot forms are available in the same places as the regular registration ballots. Mail ballots are usually sent out 20 days before Election Day and must be mailed by noon the day before Election Day.
"I think advanced ballots are wonderful," said David Jones, Kansas City, Kan., senior, and community outreach worker for the Kansas Democratic Party. "It provides an opportunity to research the people running who you might not know about."
Adam Wood, Lawrence senior and President of Students of Liberty, said he though students moving to Lawrence from swing states like Ohio should stay registered in their home state as an absentee voter because Kansas would always vote for a republican for president through the Electoral College.
"Kansas is most likely going to McCain," Wood said. "Getting out the vote is great and all, but when uneducated people vote, bad things happen like we elect George Bush."
Political knowledge is not a requirement to vote, but for first time voters an ID is required. A driver's license, bank statement, paycheck, utility bill, military ID, student ID or passport can be used as ID at Kansas voting polls.
Wood said it was important to know about the candidates and issues before voting.
— Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
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