Protecting Student Voting Rights

With registration deadlines, early voting, and election day fast approaching, there are a lot of concerns about protecting the voting rights of students. We've already seen some attempts at disenfranchisement in Waller County, Texas, and at Virginia Tech, and a new report - Vanishing Voters - put out by the PIRGs this week gives us even more cause for concern.

Considering the recent history of young voter disenfranchisement, I thought I'd highlight a few projects that are hoping to protect the vote.

Tomorrow, staffers from Student PIRG and SAVE, along with supportive elected officials, will be testifying before congress on the issue:

On Thursday, September 25th, the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing – “Ensuring the Rights of College Students to Vote.” The purpose of the hearing is to hear from a range of expert witnesses about the challenges that face students when they vote and solutions that will overcome those barriers.

Sujatha Jahagirdar, Program Director for the Student PIRGs' New Voters Project, will testify about the barriers to student voting we have encountered in our decades of work on the ground to register young voters. Additional expert witnesses will include Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL); Sheri Iachetta, Deputy Registrar, Charlottesville County, Virginia; Marvin Krislov, President, Oberlin College; and Mathew Sagel, Executive Director, SAVE.

In an attempt to democratize the process, SAVE and the PIRGs are asking young people to submit their own questions to congress about student voting rights.

SAVE has also partnered with Campus Advantage to create a one-stop-shop for Student Voting Rights.