CHRIS SEGAL
Editor in Chief
Voting is a fundamental part of living and studying in a free society, but if college students are unable to fill out the necessary paperwork to get an absentee ballot or register then they are not qualified to vote. Voting for representatives should be treated like a pass or fail test.
The simple new requirements should consist of registering for the vote and filling out the ballot and should yield perfect scores.
Voting and involvement in the political system is a civic duty but if the electorate cannot fill out a ballot based on knowledge of the issues and candidates, their vote should not count.
This is not a ploy to keep the powerful people in power. It simply makes sense that in a society where basic voting information is available to citizens that lazy people’s vote should not hold the same weight.
Part No. 1 of the test is to send in the registration form before the deadline. Sounds easy enough. In the 2004 elections almost a quarter of the 7 million 18 to 24 year olds asked by the U.S. Census Bureau for their reason for not voting, fell into the missed registration deadlines category.
In the past, this has been really the only test that voters had to complete. The No. 1 reason that citizens 18 to 24 years old failed this test in the past was from a lack of interest in politics. The requirements need to be stretched pass the deadline and actually move to the ballot.
Part No. 2 of the test should be a very simple fill in the blank. The ballot should be empty and the voter is responsible for knowing the names of the candidates and propositions they wish to vote for and put the names in the correct places. The names also have to be spelled correctly otherwise they will not count. This is a requirement that would apply to and treat every age, ethnic and economic group equally.
The new requirements would eliminate voting strictly down party lines and keep the unknowledgeable voters out of the mix. This new requirements should not bar anyone from voting, instead it just keeps out those who do not wish to take the five minutes to learn how to spell Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. If these requirements went into effect every politician would change their last name to Brown or Smith.
The idea of voter knowledge instead of voting to vote has become a more mainstream idea. The American Association of Retired Persons has adopted an unusual voting suggestion. The group has been running a new advertisement called “Don’t Vote.”
Instead of adopting the “Vote or Die” campaign of Sean “Diddy” Combs AARP wants voters to know that if they do not spend the time to read more than just the campaign book full of material submitted by the candidates then do not vote.
Voting is not a privilege like a driver’s license. Involvement in the democratic process ensures freedom and liberty, but involvement is the key. The registration deadline and fill in the blank methods would make involvement necessary to cast a ballot.
11-02-2006