Election Day Registration

Yesterday, the Washington Post endorsed a bill that would bring Election Day Registration to the District of Columbia:

IF YOU make it easier to vote, more people will vote. That has proved to be the case in states that have cleared away unnecessary hurdles to the ballot. And it is the premise behind a noteworthy proposal to reform elections in the District of Columbia.

The Omnibus Election Reform Act of 2009 aims to give more D.C. residents the opportunity to vote by allowing Election Day voter registration and eliminating restrictions on absentee and early voting. The bill, the brainchild of D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), also targets younger voters in two significant ways. For the first time, 16-year-olds would be able to pre-register, and 17-year-olds would be permitted to vote in primary elections if they would be 18 by the general election.

[...]

We hope that the D.C. Council adopts this bill, with one proviso. The provision to create an advisory council to the Board of Elections and Ethics needs to be rethought. Not only is the exact role of this board unclear, but there is a danger that its members, most appointed by the mayor and council, could politicize what must be an independent, nonpartisan process.

Kudos to D.C. for pushing forward this (small d) democratic reform, as well as making a point to bring more young voters into the process. As I've blogged in the past, approximately 81% of registered young voters cast their ballots each year. Voter registration really is the single biggest barrier to youth participation, and at the heart of what many youth vote skeptics typically dub "voter apathy." Apathy is not the problem. The problem is access, and voter registration reform is the solution.

In my view, though, this reform does not go far enough. EDR is a great way to open up the system, but why do we even need voter registration at all? What we need is a nationwide, automatic, universal registration system. Voter registration shouldn't be an opt-in system.

Fortunately, it looks like such a system is gaining in popularity and currently under study:

No state has yet to adopt universal voter registration. But the idea, common in European democracies, is the subject of a careful study by the Brennan Center for Justice and seems to be gaining traction.

The sooner the better. The evidence of fraud is miniscule, and the upside in greater participation is a public good that can't be ignored. If the government can send me my Selective Service card when I turn 16, they can send my my voter registration card when I turn 18.

This month CIRCLE released a report on the effects of state voter registration laws on young voter turnout.

The report shows that Election Day Registration (EDR) had the greatest effect in the November 2008 election in increasing youth turnout.

Election Day registration laws (EDR) allow voters to avoid the inconvenience and pressure of registration deadlines. As of 2008, nine states (Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) allow voters to register at the polls on Election Day. In a 2003 study about the 2000 Presidential Election, it was found that turnout was, on average, 14 percentage points higher among 18- to 24-year-old youth in states that had EDR. EDR may also decrease the disparity between younger and older voters. Before implementing EDR, Idaho, New Hampshire, and Wyoming were among the worst states in terms of turnout inequality between younger and older Americans. After EDR laws took effect, all three states decreased this gap dramatically. Wyoming, for example, moved from 39th place to the 7th smallest turnout gap.

What is so impressive is how dramatic the effect of EDR was in increasing turnout (emphasis added):

After controlling for effects of educational attainment, gender, marital status, age, race, and ethnicity, young people whose home state implemented EDR were 41% more likely to vote in the November 2008 election than those who did not have residence in the EDR states.

The report also shows that no-excuse absentee voting/vote by mail most likely had a strong effect, 23% of young voters voted absentee, however CIRCLE was "not able to estimate how the use of this strategy impacts state-by-state turnout since many young people, such as college students, live outside of their home state." In-person absentee voting was appeared to be a convenience to young voters who were already planning to vote, but CIRCLE does not believe that its availability turned young voters out that were not already determined to vote.

Extended polling hours resulted in an increase in the turnout of young workers and part-time students, but did not seem to have much of an effect on full-time students.

The general theme of the report is one that we often discuss in the youth political community: that lowering the barriers to voting will increase turnout. Youth organizations should be working with state legislators to reform their elections processes and enact some or all of the policies mentioned in the report, as well as others, such as online registration and permanent vote-by-mail.

As I've mentioned in a number of recent posts, I think that one of the most important projects for the progressive youth community in the 111th Congress is the passage of major voter registration reform legislation.

As I've written many times in the past, voter turnout is about access, not apathy. There are no numbers yet for 2008, but in 2004, 81.6% of all registered 18 - 29 year olds voted. The problem is not that young people register and then forget or abstain from voting; the problem is that, due to a variety of factors, young people are registered in far fewer numbers than older portions of the electorate.

Today, the Millennial generation is in a position to push for broad policy changes - on energy and climate issues, education issues, and more - thanks in large part to the massive youth turnout and their key role in electing President Obama. Retaining that power beyond one congressional session or Presidential term will require a repeat performance at the polls year in and year out. Reforming our voter registration laws and removing so many of the barriers that keep young Americans registered at low rates is key to solidifying this newfound political power. So I'm super excited to report that a coalition seems to be forming to push forward Voter Registration Modernization legislation during the current Congress.

The coalition, composed of a number of organizations including (but not limited to) US PIRG, the League of Women Voters, the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, and the Brennan Center, view 2008 as an election cycle in which the biggest problem was not necessarily voter suppression (this does not mean suppression didn't happen, it did. Rather, this year there were no Florida 2000 or Ohio 2004 moments). Instead, the biggest problem in 2008 was registration: not enough people were registered and problems with our complex and varied registration systems left others off the rolls who should have been allowed to cast a ballot. The coalition wants to capitalize on the momentum coming out of the election to push through a voter reform bill that will lower barriers at the voting booth, simplify the registration process, and solidify increased participation throughout the electorate.

The building blocks for this reform will be the National Voter Registration Act and the Help American Vote Act. NVRA mandates that public service agencies provide voter registration assistance. Most famously, this bill is also known as the "Motor Voter" bill for mandating voter registration assistance at the DMV. HAVA, for all its faults, madates that

states develop a single, uniform, official, centralized, interactive computerized statewide voter registration list defined, maintained, and administered at the State level. (Previously, voter registration lists were maintained by local officials.) HAVA requires the statewide list be coordinated with other agency databases within the state.

These two laws will be the building blocks of any proposed voter registration modernization act. In its most basic form, the (currently theoretical bill) would expand these two laws and get them working together in sync. The NVRA would expand beyond public assistance agencies to include universities and other public institutions, and these databases would provide automatic updates to the state voter files mandated by HAVA. Preliminary work is underway to ascertain the feasibility of including new databases and how any challenges to updating could be overcome.

In its final form, the bill would look to accomplish four main objectives:

• Mandate automatic registration: get everyone on the rolls just like 16 year old boys are automatically signed up for the Selective Service.
• Create a system to move information from public databases to the voter roles. This will ensure that information on individuals is accurate and up to date.
• Create an Election Day Registration fail-safe component to ensure that people can vote in the event of computer or human errors in the system.
• Fund the proposal. This can't just be rhetoric or another unfunded mandate. States, public agencies and local municipalities will need the resources required to make this system work.

Throughout this process, we're going to need to continue raising awareness in the media, the blogosphere, and in congress about the importance of this legislation. Of particular importance, though, will be reaching out to local election officials and Secretaries of State. These are the people who can stop this program in its tracks. They must see it as a time and cost-saver, not a burden to them and their already overburdened agencies. There will need to be an education and lobbying campaign aimed at this particular constituency to ensure that legislators are on board and any law is properly implemented.

As I've said, this could be a game-changer in the youth organizing community, and would enfranchise millions of Americans who are not voting or who have tried to vote and been turned away at the polls. I know we are in a time of economic and environmental crisis, but let's not allow this to drop below the radar. As the coalition continues it's work, I'll write periodic updates on where we stand on this issue, and what organizations and individuals can do to help land a bill on President Obama's desk.

As many of you probably know, Change.gov launched a new feature in the last week called the Citizen's Briefing Book. Much like Change.org's Ideas Competition (which ends today - go vote), everyday citizens can submit their policy ideas for the Obama Administration. All ideas can then be voted up or down by members of the community. The top rated ideas will be bundled into a physical book that will be presented to the President for consideration once he takes office.

It's another excellent experiment in participatory governance from the folks at the transition, and an excellent (and perhaps final) chance for youth organizations to draw some attention to our issues before the new administration takes office.

Rock the Vote is all over it. Today they submitted an entry calling for the modernization of our voter registration system, notably through the adoption of a National Automatic and Permanent Voter Registration:

A system of automatic voter registration should contain five components:

Affirmative registration - States automatically or affirmatively add people to registration rolls. Similar to the selective service, upon reaching the age of registration, the state will automatically add any eligible citizen to the voter rolls and notify him or her. (He or she can opt out if so chosen)

Permanence - Once a voter is on the rolls, s/he will remain permanently on the rolls even if s/he moves. (Currently, a voter must re-register every time s/he moves, even if it's just across town.)

Failsafe – The system should include an Election Day registration component so that eligible voters mistakenly left off the rolls can register and vote on that same day.

Funding – Sufficient money must be appropriated and allocated to states taking steps to implement this system.

Pre-Registration - Include a system whereby eligible 16-17-year-olds may be "pre-registered" to vote. This would bring young people into the voter registration system before they leave public school to begin work or college and are more difficult to track down. Upon turning 18, they would receive a notice they had been added to the voter registration rolls.

Automatic, permanent voter registration will make our electoral system more inclusive, efficient, and accurate. Now is the time to modernize our voter registration system to ensure that all eligible citizens have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.

This is so right-on on so many levels.

First, let's remember that voter registration is primarily a barrier to political participation, created to keep some constituencies (african americans, women, the poor) from voting. People often refer to voting as our civic duty, so it is both ironic and tragic that our government erects and automatic barrier to fulfilling that duty. Automatic Universal Registration permanently destroys that barrier to participation.

Second, we've twice mentioned on this blog that fact that non profits may be about to go through their own recession as foundations and major donors react to the economic crisis and the decline in value of their own access. Voter registration is hugely expensive, and it is a big chunk of what a whole lot of youth organizations do. Universal registration could theoretically free-up a lot of financial resources in the nonprofit space and allow organizations to focus their work on more substantive programs like involving their membership in policy and service projects.

Third, we know that among youth in particular voter registration is the primary reason that voter turnout remains lower than that of the rest of the electorate. When young people are registered, they participate in numbers on par with those of older voters. Automatic Universal Registration can help ensure that the high rates of young voter turnout we saw this year continue in years to come, regardless of how exciting the race is or whether President Obama is on the ballot.

Go vote now and make sure that when President Obama receives the Citizen's Briefing Book, one of the top items is Automatic Universal Voter Registration.

As I've long argued, youth turnout is about access, not apathy. In 2004, over 80% of registered youth cast a ballot on election day, commensurate with the rest of the registered electorate.

Today, CIRCLE released a fact sheet that adds more grist to that mill by illustrating the impact of election laws and polling accessibility (pdf) on youth turnout at the polls.

CIRCLE found that simple measures like Vote by Mail and Election Day Registration could drastically improve young voter turnout in both Midterm and Presidential elections:

Furthermore, simple measures to educate citizens about their polling place location, and provide sample ballots can further increase participation among young voters.

It's amazing what can happen when states actually work with citizens to make the voting process more navigable.

The report also contains state-by-state information on the availability of election day registration, vote by mail, extended voting hours, unrestricted absentee voting, sample ballot mailings and more.

Regular readers of this site will remember that in December of last year, we went to bat pretty hard against both the Clinton/Biden/Dodd/Richardson campaigns, and David Yepsen, "the Dean of Iowa Political Reporting," for suggesting that university students in Iowa did not have a right to participate in the caucuses. I think we did a pretty good job (in partnership with a number of youth organizations) pushing against that message, earning retractions from all of the Democratic campaigns, garnering front page coverage on Daily Kos, and getting other organizations involved and on-message. By the end of the year, thanks to our work here and that of organizations like the Student PIRGs, Rock the Vote, YDA, and Young Voter PAC, the New York Times even ran an op-ed sympathetic to our point of view.

We all know what happened after that - despite much fretting about a youth-based field strategy on the part of the media and old-school party hacks, students turned out in record numbers and launched Barack Obama's campaign to the front of the pack.

So it's disturbing to see that, once the glare of the media is gone from Iowa, David Yepsen is back to his old tricks. In a column dedicated to the reformation of the Iowa Caucus, Yepsen takes aim at Election Day Registration:

Ban same-day registration

Allowing someone to just show up, claim residence in the precinct and participate is an invitation to fraud. There were allegations that happened in this year's caucuses.

It's one thing - and probably a good thing - to allow same-day registration on an election day. If there is a question about someone's residence, a provisional ballot can be cast and counted or rejected once the residence issue is settled. There isn't time for that on caucus night.

So, Iowa should cut off voter registrations for caucus participation a week or two before the events are held. That way, those officials or activists trying to run the caucuses can have a fresh list from the county election office of just who is eligible to participate.

Yes, there were allegations of fraud by people with a political interest in claiming so, and who fought the idea of student participation for months because it was a constituency disproportionately lined up against their candidacy.

The fact is, Yepsen, and others who share his opinion, are worried about a hypothetical, unproven problem that may occur in some future place and time. I'm worried about the actual problem we have now: that young people participate in our elections in lower numbers than other groups because they face larger barriers to voting than do older voters.

If we want to see more young people participate - a universal good, recognized even by those who lament "youth apathy" - than we need to make the system more accommodating to the life circumstances of young people.

When it comes to the Iowa Caucus, young people face a number of hurdles that older voters do not:

• Their transience - young people typically need to re-register every time they move. Students tend to move every single year.
• The school calendar means that students typically are not in-state during the caucuses.
• Student schedules and workloads tend to be heaviest when the caucuses are just coming onto the national radar.
• Universities do very little (if anything) to promote student participation in local elections.

All of these are contributing factors to lower voting rates among students, and Election Day Registration is a solution to all of these extra hurdles that students face. Absent any proof of fraud at a massive - election changing - level, it's hard to see how Yepsen can justify making it harder for any constituency to participate in the Democratic process.

We wouldn't put a polling place on the 11th floor of a building with no elevator access and no nearby public transportation and then wonder why elderly and handicapped people don't vote. We recognize that polling places should be handicap accessible and centrally located to address the needs of certain demographics who will use it. Absent any solid proof of fraud, how is a law that addresses the special hurdles that students face any different?

Bumped. --Mike

Cross-posted at Project Vote's blog, Voting Matters

Weekly Voting Rights News Update

By Erin Ferns

Reports and exits polls this entire political season have built a narrative of tremendous, even record-breaking voter participation, pushing us to believe that voter turnout in November will exceed all expectations.

Maybe.

The dirty secret of elections in America is that getting on the rolls, casting a ballot, and having that ballot counted is a complicated system adjudicated and carried out by more than 3,000 counties and towns and regulated by a complex mix of state and federal laws. In order for the expected record-shattering turnout to occur in November, all aspects of the system, from registration procedures to polling place systems to ballot counting procedures all need to work properly. However, those with an interest in suppressing turnout may disrupt the process at any one of those points. The biggest impact comes by preventing people from making it onto the voting rolls in the first place since no one can cast a ballot without being registered.

Unsurprisingly, politicians with partisan interests at heart are pushing states to raise barriers to the democratic process by enforcing laws that restrict voter registration drives and violate the Voting Rights Act. These election-related policies have disproportionately negative impact on young people and minorities – two groups that have historically suffered underrepresentation in the electorate. However, in an encouraging move aimed at lowering these kinds of barriers, the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill that would help enfranchise all voters on Election Day.

Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives
During presidential election years, efforts to register more citizens increase dramatically. However, several states impose various restrictions on voter registration drives, which in turn has a disproportionate impact upon youth and people with disabilities – two communities that commonly register to vote through such drives, according to Ben Adler of the Politico.

The swing state of New Mexico is under the most scrutiny for their drive policy and has recently been sued for unconstitutionally hindering the right to collect voter registrations under a 2005 election reform law.

“The activists contend that because the law creates criminal penalties for failing to meet its requirements – which even supporters acknowledge are stringent – it discourages groups from collecting registrations,” Adler wrote. New Mexico's excessively short 48 hour time frame to turn in a completed application and subsequent misdemeanor charge if the collector is late has reportedly stopped students who “'simply want to get out on campus and register their friends to vote.'” The Federal government recognizes the challenges imposed by short time lines: Under the National Voter Registration Act, state agencies are provided 10 days to turn in new applications.

Violations of the Voting Rights Act
Other voting rights issues that have recently been battled involve violations of the Voting Rights Act.
The U.S. Justice Department recently announced an agreement to protect Latino voters in New Jersey after a complaint was filed involving discrimination in the voting process. Puerto Rican voters in the Penns Grove borough had complained they were subject to racial comments and hostility as well as disproportionately asked for voter ID and turned away at the polls. It was the third lawsuit of this nature this year. The suit also alleged that Spanish-speaking voters were not provided Spanish-language election materials or enough aid from bilingual poll workers, also requirements of the Act. The agreement must still be approved by the court, the Justice Department press release said.

“The right to vote is a fundamental guarantee for all American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Christopher Christie. “The Division is committed to vigorously enforcing federal civil rights laws during the important election year and commends the county and borough for promptly and constructively resolving the matter.”

Asian voters in Massachusetts were not as successful in getting the state to provide fully sufficient bilingual ballots, according to a column by Adrian Walker of the Boston Globe. Advocates recently attempted to meet with Secretary of State William Galvin to gain his support for a proposed law requiring ballots be translated into Chinese and Vietnamese. The bill passed the Boston City Council earlier this year, but still requires legislative approval in order to ensure elderly Asian residents with limited English skills are not denied the right to vote in November.

“Voting is as American as apple pie,” said Boston City Councilor Sam Yoon. “This is something everyone should want to protect.”

However, Galvin - who the legislature looks to when considering election law - denied the group, as he has for the last year, according to Walker.

Despite swelling interest and rising registration rates among youth and minorities, there are significant and persistent barriers to their increased participation. The identification of these barriers should serve as a wake-up call in each state, pushing them to take steps to address the barriers and equip themselves to handle the influx of new voters this coming Election Day.

Voter Registration Surge and Election Day Chaos
An example of this swelling interest can be seen in one county in Florida where minority voters are beginning to balance their share of the electorate. This year alone in Lee County, Florida, black and Latino voters have increased by as much as 22 percent – more than double the increase among white voters, according to local publication, Fort Meyers News-Press.

“The increase in minority voter registration gives voice to people who haven't always been represented at the table,” the News-Press editorialized. “Whether it's the presence of a nontraditional candidate, the pressing economic conditions, or the war in Iraq, anything that inspires citizens to participate in the political process is beneficial.”

The unprecedented surge of voters expected to turn out in November could pose a major challenge for states, according to Stateline.org. The online news site, run by the Pew Research Center, raised concerns about poor ballot design and even last minute voter registration drives that could swamp understaffed offices, making it more difficult for voters to get on the rolls, let alone cast a ballot.

“People know it's going to be a historically high turnout. Whether they can do anything about it is another question,” said Dan Seligson of electionline.org, a Pew Center on the States project that provides analysis on election reform.

Smart Election Reform
While other states scramble to figure out how to accommodate the influx of voters and advocates ensure voting rights are protected, one state is pushing one of the most effective measures to expand access to democracy for all American citizens – Election Day Registration. On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill that would allow voters to register and vote on Election Day. The bill, SB 2807 is currently in the House Ways and Means committee. If passed, Massachusetts would join the ranks of eight other EDR states, which have average turnout rates that exceed non-EDR states by as much as 12 percent. Three other states are considering EDR bills: New Jersey, New York and Ohio. To view these bills, visit www.ElectionLegislation.org.

Update: Down with Tyranny has more on this from Amy Klobuchar, who is a cosponsor of the bill.
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In the wake of the Supreme Courts decision in the Indian Photo-ID case, Sen. Russ Feingold is proposing nation-wide election day registration for federal elections.

From the AP:

WASHINGTON -- Minnesota and Wisconsin lawmakers are seeking legislation that would require states to let people register to vote on the same day that a federal election is held.

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota, plan to introduce the bill on Thursday. The lawmakers, all Democrats, say that same-day registration will encourage more people to vote.

The legislation comes three days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can require voters to produce photo identification. Civil rights groups worry that such voter ID laws will deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots. Proponents say voter ID laws are needed to prevent fraud.

I don't know what the chance is of this bill even making it out of committee (slim to none, I suspect), but it is a fantastic idea. Young people face too many barriers to voting already. We move a lot (invalidating our registrations), we are inexperienced with the process, local municipalities discourage student voting, and now thanks to the Supreme Court, young voters in Indiana face a number of new bureaucratic hoops through which they must jump before casting their first ballot. Given all that, it's no wonder voter turnout rates are lower among young people and high among seniors who rarely move and have decades of experience with the process.

If we want to see young people turnout in numbers on par with the rest of the electorate, EDR is a great first step. Studies have shown that in EDR states, youth turnout can rise by as much as 14% (pdf). Kudos to Senator Feingold for raising the issue. This is something all youth groups should promote and pursue in the coming months and years.

Today's Daily Dispatch from the Progressive States Network focuses on how states can lower barriers to participation and increase turnout in elections. It's a great resource on election day registration, mail-in registration, and other proven ways that states can increase citizen engagement.

UPDATE: Also... a quick fact from our friend Kat: 18-20 year olds didn't have the right to vote until 1972. So the excerpt ""The Census Bureau’s historical time series shows that the 18-to-24 vote peaked at 50.9 percent in 1964, 50.4 percent in 1968, and 49.6 percent in 1972" is especially funny.

David Hill, a reporter for The Hill and republican pollster, attacked young voters and their enthusiasm today by directly targeting Heather Smith, executive Director of Rock the Vote. His argument is illogical, insubstantial, poorly researched, and dishonest.

Lets begin:

"Campaigners must set aside normative wishes about kids voting and be realistic about the likelihood of that happening. Regrettably, youth vote boosters like Heather induce too many candidates and campaigns to place too much emphasis and hope on that unreliable slice of the electorate. If Barack Obama wants to build his entire campaign on exciting the youth vote, then as a Republican I hope he does exactly that, because it will lead to his defeat. The hard numbers don’t lie."

Heather Smith advocates getting out the vote for young people and encourages candidates to talk to young voters. She does not say that young voters will win a candidate an election or that they should only talk to young voters.

But rather, in a political world where candidates and campaigns do absolutely no communication with young voters, making that contact and building those relationships CAN make or break a campaign.

Hill is right about one thing. Numbers don't lie. Youth outreach in conjunction with other efforts can and has made a difference. See some REAL numbers here, here, here, here, here, and here's a nice fact sheet with date for even more info.

No one in the youth movement is saying or would say that only targeting young people is the way to win an election. In fact I think Jane Flemming has articulated on here before a clarification about that misnomer.

Next:

"but the more compelling number may be that 58.1 percent of the entire 18- to 24-year-old cohort didn’t vote. That doubles non-voting among 65- to 74-year-olds, only 29.2 percent of whom didn’t vote."

Its true. And if you'd expand the numbers to reflect the two voting blocks in a more even way say compare 18-29 year olds vs. 65-77 year olds then you'd be looking at ten years in each voting block. To take folks 18-24 (7 years) and compare it to 65-74 (10 years) disproportionately skews the data to fit his thesis.

What is more substantial is this table here:

Hill can talk about seniors all he wants. Its great that seniors turn out to the polls and work hard to vote. It is, however, significantly easier for them to vote then it is for younger people as today's Dallas Morning News reports:

"Despite the high voter interest, many students also were turned away – for showing up at the wrong precinct, forgetting identification cards and failing to register in time."

First, young people are not as settled as seniors (who often live in the same house they die in). Young people are just starting out, they move around from college, to internships, to new homes, new apartments, school, and other places. With Election Day Registration we can level the playing field and make it easier for young people who are too often disenfranchised.

Secondly, there is an obscene amount of outreach to seniors. In fact, seniors have their own nationally recognized subsidized organization that spends millions on lobbying each year for their specific age block. Young people don't have that. They have Heather Smith and the hundreds of young people working tirelessly for little money all to combat negative articles like David Hill's.

If we passed Election Day Registration in each state and we had even half of the outreach that seniors have 18-29 year olds would run this country. Instead we have little outreach and only 7 states offer EDR. Even with that, we have an overwhelming number of people voting this year with the potential for more.

The rest of the article throws more stats at you that don't make sense because they only look at 18-24 year olds. He finally claims that even at its height

"The Census Bureau’s historical time series shows that the 18-to-24 vote peaked at 50.9 percent in 1964, 50.4 percent in 1968, and 49.6 percent in 1972

By that same token, since in 2004 American turnout peaked at 60% a record turnout for the entire country, that we just shouldn't connect with any of those other voters that are registered because.... they don't matter. Right.... that makes SO much sense.

Amber Goodwin who serves on the DNC Youth Advisory Council, the NAACP Youth and College Branch, the YDA Minority Caucus, and tons of others wrote a letter to the editor that we hope they have the guts to publish in response to Hill's piece. Among the facts and figures, from the the recent primary states, Amber says this:

"Maybe Mr. Hill slept through the results of the caucuses from last night, or somehow misplaced his newspaper that showed the historic youth turnout in out state of Texas. Yes, I get it; the "Obama Factor" is huge. I am now an Obama delegate to the Senate Convention and am proud to support his campaign. One of the reasons that his campaign has been very successful is what youth advocates have been saying for years: campaigns must target young people.

Obama's campaign started from the beginning by actually talking to young people, targeting young people and having conversations with us about our issues, many of which resonate across race, gender, age and even party lines. The 2008 presidential cycle is the first time that we have seen skilled National Youth Directors as integral staff for all of the major Democratic candidates."

We think that perhaps Mr. Hill is just a little Republican pollster that is seeing the numbers and is worried. The fact is that we are making huge waves and both parties are scrambling to understand what is going on and how to capture us. As a result we are in large enough numbers that we impact policies and campaigns by serving as a compliment to existing outreach.

For Hill, supposedly a respected numbers guy, to try and come up with his own numbers and only quote data that doesn't match up is simply bad journalism. I think people are smarter than that.