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College Students should be among the most well-informed, responsive, and
involved citizens in our country. However, when students are asked if they vote
or if they are registered to vote, the answer is often 'no.' Following this response
are many reasons for their non-participation. SOME OF THE REASONS
INCLUDE:
("I am registered at home and I can't get there on election day.'
°I haven't lived here long enough to register in this district.'
°'l didn't know where to register.'
didn't know where the voting polls were.'
°`Does it cost anything?'
0 1 had no transportation.'
°'What election?'
°'Who is running?'
College students haveone of the lowest voter turnout records in the United
States. And the preceding reasons for not voting are solved when these facts are
considered:
°Absentee ballots can be applied for from the county courthouse in the
student's hometown. These allow citizens to vote by mail. In Pennsylvania an
absentee ballot can be applied for anytime until the Tuesday before election
day. They must then be returned to the courthouse no later than the Friday
before the election.
°lf a student lives out-of-state, he/she can contact the county courthouse and
inquire about that particular state's absentee voting procedures. Absentee
voting allows students to vote in their hometowns if they can't get there on
election day.
°ln Pennsylvania, anyone who has resided at their present address for at least
30 days prior to the general election may register in that particular district.
This makes voting relatively more accessible to citizens who move
frequently, such as college students. Most college students who are living on
campus have been there for at least 30 days prior to the election.
°Unfortunately, the Bureaus of Registration in many counties cannot afford to
mail out voter registration forms to every citizen in their county. However,
with little effort any individual wishing to register can do so by calling the
county courthouse and asking for a form. Also, many organizations and)
campaign committees conduct voter registration drives to make it as easy as
possible to register. Simply by checking the 'Coming Events' in the
newspaper or contacting a specific campaign committee a student can
register. The SGA officials at the school may also be of assistance.
°The exact location of voting booths on election day is another fact that can be
learned by calling the county courthouse. Before calling the courthouse a
student should check his certificate of registration for his name, his voting
address, and his ward number.
°This is the information the courthouse needs to inform a voter where their
polls are located. The local newspapers often publish a list of townships,
wards, and precincts and the location of the voting polls for each so that the
registered voters can see it in print. (Hint: A student can tear this list out of
the paper so that the location will not be forgotten at the last minute).
°FREE? FREE! Yes, FREE! Register to Vote for FREE! It costs nothing but a
few minutes of time and a 15 cent stamp to register to vote.
°Citizens who do not have transportation to the polls can call the county
courthouse and ask for the names of the committee persons in that particular
ward or precinct. These people should be able to inform a voter of various
carpools that may be available to the voters on election day. Also, many of
the campaign committees offer rides (Free!) to voters without transporta
tion.
Published biweekly by the students of the Capitol Campus of the Pennsylvania
State University in Middletown, Pennsylvania.
The C.C. Reader has the following four-fold purpose: [l] to keep students
informed about their campus community; [2] to provide editorial comment on issues
facing the campus community; [3] to serve as a forum for student poetry,
photographs, short stories, graphics, and other creative endeavors; [4] to serve as a
learning mechanism for all students interested in the journalistic process. This
includes reporting, editing, layout, typesetting, and paste-up.
All students are urged to express their vie.ws . by contributing to the C.C., pewter:
Voter Registration
cc. reader
Pennsylvania State University
Capitol Campus
Route 230
Middletown, PA 17057
Office -- W-129
Phone [7l7] 944-4970
Thursday, October 9, 1980
Editorial /Opinion
°lf students are unaware of what elections are coming up or what candidates
are running for office a newspaper may be of benefit to them. If a newspaper
is too expensive or seems too repulsive, a student may feel more comfortable
asking a professor in the political science department of their school. (These
persons can usually give you some idea of what is happening. An appointment
may be necessary). Another good idea may be to watch the news on TV -- this
is simpler than reading.
Questioning some of the reasons students often give for not voting or for not
registering to vote is feasible. With minimal exertion students can be included in
that group of citizens that are well-informed, responsive, and involved. It takes
less effort than planning a 4-keg beer bash.
If the students m Pennsylvania would all register to vote, they would be
widely recognized as a viable and forceful group of citizens. They would have the
poWer of almost 366,000 votes. It only takes two votes to swing an election.
Note: Wrisberg Hall, Church Hall, and Meade Heights are all located in Lower
Swatara Township, Ward 2. The voting polls will be located at Shopes Garden
Civic Center, 2 Theodore Avenue, Middletown,PA.
Sports Editor - Kenneth Aducci Contributing Editor - Susan M. Snell
Activities Editor Linda Lightner Darkroom Technician - Mark W. Clouser
Copy Editor Alice M. Coon Cartoonist Joe Horvath
Assistant Copy Editor - William Neil
- Gary Pellett, James Seda, Anita Rawlins, and John G. Harvey
Staff -
Faculty Advisors
The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and are not
necessarily the opinions of the students, faculty, staff, or administration of the
Pennsylvania State University.
The C.C. Reader welcomes letters from readers. Letters intended for publication
should indicate the writers college affiliation, if any. All letters must be signed by the
writer. Unsigned letters can not be printed. However, a writer's name may be
withheld upon request. Letters should be legible [ preferably typewritten, double
spaced); and any material that is libelous or does not conform to the standards of
good taste will be edited and/4i, rektled, •
GTMO BAY* CUBA 1971
He grabbed him by the hair
And smashed his head
Against the pavement
And he smashed it again
He was mad enough to kill
And it didn't matter who
There was a war in his brain
The whiskey wouldn't burn out
The pavement was wet in the heat
Under a waring sun
Just as the fields
In the Mekong were wet
Through the slow motion heat
Of the afternoon.
John Flanagan
Dr. Elizabeth Winston, Dr. Donald Alexander
LETTERS POLICY
C.C. Reader
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