student voter act

The war on college students continues with voting rights being threatened again. I don't know why they even bother anymore labeling students - why not just go after "anyone voting for Obama" and tell them they can't vote. At least it would be more honest. To make matters worse this report also includes clips of New Hampshire state House Speaker who calls students "foolish."

Just reported on the Progressive States Network:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation, HB 30, allowing the pre-registration of 17-year-olds in the state of California. The state joins seven others that allow pre-registration at either 17 or 16. This follows close on the heels of North Carolina, which made their pre-registration age 16 over the summer. As with campaigns in other states, students themselves were the most persuasive advocates for pre-registration. Civically-minded youth and student leaders pointed to the opportunity that would be opened for students like themselves to encourage their peers to register and prepare for voting. Students and a range of advocates including the New America Foundation, AARP, The League of Women Voters and FairVote, made the case the this is a no cost way to boost participation by allowing registration before 18, when many people are in transition.

Disclaimer: it was actually AB 30, and its important to note that this law does not take effect for a couple of years, young voters cannot do this right now.

Matthew Segal from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment said

"I think pre-registration is a major step in the right direction because it helps institutionalize voter registration, said matthew segal. If implemented at DMVs it will also be essential in reaching many young people who are not college bound." SAVE supports replicating what we've done in California federally with a bill we are currently working with FairVote and Congressman Markey's office to introduce."

California's Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in an email from her spokesperson

"Hooking young adults on democracy is one of my priorities as California's chief elections officer," she said. "This expansion of the state's pre-registration law is a good step toward increasing voter participation across the state."

This is certainly a win for civic engagement, but a small one. FM's been monitoring some important electoral reform at the federal level. The Student Voter Act, a S.A.V.E bill, was slated for mark-up earlier this week but it's been rescheduled for early next month. This piece of legislation would affect college students at every higher education institution that receives public funding, essentially Motor Voter for schools. While states are making progress in electoral reform, federal legislation like The Student Voter Act would take a tremendous burden off of voter engagement organizations, allowing them to focus just on GOTV and education. At any rate, kudos to the California youth who just made voting easier in their state.

One of the panels I attended at Netroots Nation was Repairing our Democracy: Voter Registration Modernization and other Solutions with speakers Secretary Debra Bowen California's Secretary of State, Dean Logan the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for Los Angeles County (the nation’s largest county), Jonah Goldman a national expert on voting and elections, and Justin Levitt counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. The panel was also moderated by Eric Marshall, campaign manager for the National Campaign for Fair Elections in the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's Voting Rights Project.

Highly knowledgeable experts on the panel seemed to develop the consensus that the system is broken.

"We must have a system of error correction that is speedy enough so that people aren't disenfranchised and the error is corrected," Secretary Bowen said. "We need more consistent rules of residency for students. Some places are down right hostile about allowing students to vote, some are welcoming, but many are very hard on students."

"There are huge barriers to over seas voters and our military. When I visited Iraq and Afghanistan I met with the voting official who is not elected but appointed to do the job. . ."

Bowen continued to describe an over 500 page manual that the military official must be familiar with because there are so many voting laws for each state he must know.

"If we're disenfranchising people who are serving us it's time for the states to voluntarily figure out one cohesive consistent way that it works."

LA County Clerk Dean Logan told a story about a meeting he had with other election officials where it was asked if they could redesign the entire voter registration from if anyone would keep the original... none would.

Logan said they had 500,000 newly registered voters, and on the 15 day cut off for voter registration deadline California Counties had a Midnight Madness for people who had up to the last minute to register to vote.

"We had people coming in in their pajamas and it was packed! But the day after that cut off, we received 64,000 forms by people who missed the deadline. The next day 100,000 people sent in forms. We failed them administratively," he admitted.

But, Mr. Goldman said that new technologies provide a "non-partisan solution to a non-partisan problem that we can all work to fix."

Mr. Logan agreed believing

"despite this archaic system we are using technology better, allowing people to verify their information. But if you're online and realize that you need to change your address or you need to correct it, then that's where it stops, there is no way to update that."

The panel agreed the system breakdown is targeted at registration itself. Everything that happens on the back end is relatively smooth, even Logan said that when it comes to provisional ballots 80-90% of them count and can be verified, but the breakdown happened in the registration process somewhere.

Secretary Bowen said the argument against a massive reorganization and standardization effort would be the constant "states rights" argument. But Bowen believes that registration difficulties that occur in places like Florida and Ohio do affect California in a substantial way. Everything from Universal Registration to Election Day Registration are all options on the table but neither are being considered at the federal level.

The Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act (“MOVE Act”) authored by Senator Chuck Shumer was approved by the US Senate

"after a Rules Committee survey last May showed that as many as one in four ballots cast by military voters went uncounted in last year’s presidential election," Shumer's office said.

Among other things, "the bill would require states to provide ballots electronically. Additionally, it beefs up the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) at the Department of Defense, which is the main source of election-related information and assistance for many members of the military. The legislation, S. 1415, also addresses problems the military and overseas voters face in registering to vote from outside the U.S. It would bar states from rejecting military ballots for lack of a “Notary” signature—a feat difficult to achieve in the bases of Iraq and Afghanistan."

The Student VOTER Act was also re-introduced this session back in March. Late July will also bring the second hearing for the Student VOTER Act in the Committee on House Administration and will hopefully go into mark-up in September when it should also be in line for a floor vote.

Matthew Segal from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment told me via email that Majority Leader Steney Hoyer has been extremely supportive so he's optimistic we can get the bill on the floor this year. If you missed it, former US Senate Leader Tom Daschle has been a fantastic public advocate on the Student VOTER Act, and Zoe Lofgren, who chairs the subcommittee on elections within the Committee on House administration has also now signed onto the bill, as has Susan Davis, who is another member of both the full committee and subcommittee.

Segal says

"their leadership will assist us in getting the bill marked up this September. We [also] hope that other youth organizations will join us in making this one of their principal legislative priorities for 2009 and 2010."

As Bowen said, issues like Voting Rights aren't as sexy as issues like Health Care, but the ability to register to vote, be able to vote, and have that vote counted as its cast is the foundation of our democracy. We should be able to count on all of those things.

Crossposted to DailyKos, please recommend.

Below are two videos of a speech Former Minority Leader Tom Daschle made at the 80 Million Strong Summit. I wanted to wait to post this because his speech was so critical to our progress both as a country and as a generation.

Amazingly, Daschle's first comments were about work on the Student VOTER Act complimenting the hard battles fought and saying he believes it MUST pass.

"I congratulate SAVE in particular on the Student VOTER Act. I think its really one of the most critical new opportunities to extend voter rights and voter opportunities to students that we have in the country today, and it ought to pass . . ."

"One important, if not the most important things, is participation. Without participation you don't have democracy. You can't have an effective republic. And so, your presence here, is in essence, in recognition of the critical nature of participation in this republic, and a fundamental part of our democracy."

Part 1

"We must reach the kind of health care other countries have. While this presents opportunities for the 10,000 members of SAVE and certainly for each of you in this room. Opportunities regarding the challenge, and opportunities for your own roles and responsibilities moving forward.

It is no secret that there are 3 fundamental problems with health care. Number one, is access. 50 million people don't have health insurance today, and that is an outrage. 48% of those who have insurance don't have adequate insurance, and because they don't 18,000 Americans die every year for the simple reason that they have either inadequate or no insurance. . . .

We also have a quality problem. Did you know that last year the World Health Organization ranked the United State 37th in world quality? Just below Costa Rica and above Slavonia. We are 31st in life expectancy, 29th in infant mortality, and 24th in overall women's health. 100,000 people die every year because of medical mistakes. 100,000 is almost as much as the largest city in my state. . .

And what's driving this debate more than anything else is the cost problem. We have a cost problem that is effecting everybody in this room and its going to effect you a lot more. When I was born... health care comprised 4% of our GDP. When my children were born, about 25 and 30 years ago, the percentage went from 4% to 8%. And when my grandchildren were born, and I have 4 of them now, it went from 8% to 16%. And when you're my age, its going to be 32% according to the Council of Economic Advisers. . ."

Part 2

The Project Vote Blog had an interesting piece that turned my head this week about the voter registration rate this past election.

After all of the work we did - we meaning the folks at CREDO who developed the online voter registration widget Rock the Vote and many others used. The in person voting HeadCount did, and the thousands of other people affiliated with hundreds of campaigns and groups across the country, we had a net gain of about 1% in voter registration according to Project Vote's findings (PDF).

Not to belittle 1%, its actually quite good when you look at the numbers, and when we look at some of the states where elections were very close I can guarantee that those new voters made a difference. Still, there needs to be a new way that we work to cultivate new registrants that garners higher results.

"While measures to provide voter registration or voter education opportunities for voting eligible Americans are important, three states have taken a step beyond by moving legislation to not only address the issue of standardizing the voter registration system, but to engage the future of America before they reach the age of 18" says Project Vote.

Hawaii and Florida are the only two states that currently offer such a registration option. In April, however, Project Vote reported other states are developing legislation for similar laws allowing pre-registration to 16 year olds. It might be easier, their blog says, to engage youth in high school and at the DMV.

"In the last few weeks, legislators passed preregistration bills through at least one chamber in California (AB 30), Michigan (HB 4261 and HB 4337), and North Carolina (HB 1260). The Michigan and North Carolina bills have been assigned to their respective Senate committees while the California bill awaits its final reading on the Senate floor. Passage of the California bill is thought to be most significant due to its growing and diverse population, particularly among its young residents."

They're right, one of the biggest problems we have as a movement is targeting non-college youth because there is no central location that connects with them. The closest org I think that comes close is HeadCount who walks the entrance lines at concerts and asks people to register. You're getting college and non-college youth, but primarily concert goers and festival lovers. My kind of voters, but still not a broad selection.

High school programs are few and far between, many high school students aren't 18 so it seems like a smaller population from which to choose. The difference is... all of them will be 18. With laws in place that allow early registration, high school outreach could have a huge success rate to ensure youth are registered when they turn 18.

SAVE has worked with members of Congress and the Senate to pass the Student Voter Opportunity to Encourage Registration (VOTER) Act which was introduced in the US Senate today by Sen. Dick Derbin (D-IL). According to yesterday's release:

The Act "will require all colleges and universities that receive federal funds to provide their students with an opportunity to register to vote as they "enroll in a course of study."

"Many students are first-time voters and are often unfamiliar with how to register to vote. Our bill would make registering to vote as simple as registering for class," said Senator Durbin. "Making voter registration more accessible will remove one burden preventing young people from getting involved in our democracy."

Texas recently passed interesting legislation that would require each high school principal to designate four people as deputy registrars.

According to the bill HB1654

"The four deputies could be either employees of the high school or employees of the school district in which the high school was located and who were serving at the high school. At least three of the four would have to be classroom teachers or certified full-time counselors."

State and Federal leaders along with many organizations across the country are working on many different levels to fix what is a continuous problem in American Elections. To monitor preregistration and other election bills, visit www.electionlegislation.org. To continue to watch federal legislation for the VOTER Act stay tuned to SAVE

You know em... ya love em... its the elected officials and supporters of the Student VOTER Act joined together to talk about how important it is to pass!

Thursday's Press Conference was awesome. Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Tim Ryan, Rep. Meek, and Rep. Schakowsky all joined in support of this bill.

Rep. Schakowsky (pictured right)said that we want more people to vote in our elections not create more barriers. She further said "we have a special responsibility to promote civic education" talking about the very essence of voting and the civic duty we all have to participate in such a crucial part of our democracy. She assured the audience that they would get both parties to pass this bill.

Rep. Meek said the bill "just makes good sense" further agreeing that everyone eligible should be registered to vote.

Ian Storrar from Mobilize.org went further saying that if we have more voices working together we enact better policies.

The event was a great success and the bill is sure to progress. Empirical evidence suggests that voter registration is the greatest hurdle to young voter participation. According to a 2004 study by CIRCLE, 22% of 18-29 year olds who did not vote did so because they missed the registration deadline. An additional 10% of that age group did not know where or how to register to vote. Therefore, a combined 32% of 18-29 year olds who did not participate in the election did so because of uncertainties in the registration process.

The Student VOTER Act will guarantee that students have at least a fighting chance to register and make a difference in every election, not just the elections that maintain youth outreach.

Youth organizations from across the country are working to support this bill including:
Student Association for Voter Empowerment
United States Student Association
People for the American Way
Common Cause
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Mexican-American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF)
People For the American Way
U.S. PIRG
Rock the Vote
Mobilize.org
The Roosevelt Institution
Campus Progress Action
Voto Latino
Young Democrats of America
18 in 08’
Students for Barack Obama
College Democrats of America
New Era Colorado
Advocates for Youth
FairVote
Fair Elections Legal Network

I can't think of a better person than Secretary Jennifer Brunner to speak out about this issue. She understands more about the unbelievable disenfranchisement of young voters face than many and has dedicated her work in the Ohio SOS office to ensuring every citizen of her state who can vote is able to vote.

Please RT this video:
RT @SAVEvoting Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner Supports the Student Voter Act http://tinyurl.com/d34wcm

And please take a minute to push this around facebook to encourage more Secretaries of State to support it as well. THANKS!

We've worked so hard to help students have equal access to voting its a rewarding day to have it reintroduced into a legislature that will see it as a priority. As we speak in Washington there is a press conference announcing its importance and emphasizing the difficulties that young people face simply in casting a ballot each election.

According to a release from the Student Association for Voter Empowerment:

"Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL, and Steven LaTourette, R-OH, along with the Student Association for Voter Empowerment and distinguished guests will hold a press conference to discuss the impact this legislation will have to expand the right to vote to more Americans...

Barriers in the voter registration process are the most commonly cited reason that young people (18-29 years old) do not participate in elections. According to a study by CIRCLE, a combined 32% of 18-29 year olds did not vote because of uncertainties, confusion, or difficulties in registering. Similarly, a report from Harvard University's Institute of Politics noted that nonvoting youth are "more likely [than any other group] to cite registration mistakes or a lack of registration knowledge as a reason why they did not vote."

In response to the current problems with voter registration, The legislation will require all colleges and universities that receive federal funds to provide their students with an opportunity to register to vote as they enroll in classes. The Student VOTER Act builds off the successful model of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and like Department of Motor Vehicles, will designate colleges as “voter registration agencies."