While student voter turnout has not been very high in the past, this year looks to be quite different. And young people appear to be leading the Democrats' surge in party identification - which can only be good news heading into the election.
But we all know what that means: The Republican machine is kicking into high gear to stymie young people's efforts to participate in the democratic process.
In Michigan, for example, students have found many hurdles on the path to civic participation.
One of the most notorious of these is Rogers's law, which requires that a voter's permanent address match his or her voter registration card. That means that a first-time student voter in Ann Arbor might not be able to take part in that election, especially since no one is allowed to vote absentee the first time. Students are left with the choice of either skipping class and driving home (if possible), changing their address or not voting. This is simply unacceptable. The problem is not just the complete lack of accommodation, but also the sheer confusion that results from it.
The Rogers Law is so named because it was sponsored in 1999 by state Sen. Mike Rogers, who went on to win a hotly contested race for US House the following year by 111 votes. If not for that law, many students at Michigan State University, which is located in Rogers's district, would have been able to vote on campus, likely denying Rogers a seat in Congress.
Thankfully, the DNC and the College Democrats of America are stepping up to do something about that. I, an Officer-At-Large of the Michigan Federation of College Democrats, just found this in my email:
This fall we will see college students turning out to vote in record numbers for Senator Obama and other Democratic candidates down the ballot. However, as we have all seen, lack of voter education, restrictive laws, unprepared election administrators, and intimidation tactics have diminished youth turnout and kept youth away from the polling place.
For these reasons, the College Democrats of America, the Democratic National Committee, and the National Democratic Law Student Council (NDLSC) have teamed up to promote and protect the youth vote by forming the Youth Voting Rights Institute, which is committed to ensuring that the voices of our youth be heard. We are working to identify particular issues that effect college students and work with college administrators and election officials to address those issues.
Additionally, YVRI will provide information on registration rules and voting requirements to CDA activists and fully integrate voter protection into youth get out the vote efforts.
If you or someone you know is interested in helping with this important project at your campus or in your state, please feel free to contact Matthew Brokman at BrokmanM@dnc.org.
UPDATE: Lava20 reminds me of a demonstration wherein Prairie View A&M students marched more than 7 miles to vote early in the Texas primary.