This is a public service announcement: registering to vote and voting absentee is now easier than ever thanks to Middlebury College’s recent partnership with TurboVote, a nonpartisan, nonprofit that mails students pre-filled out registration forms and vote-by-mail applications and sends text and email reminders that include polling locations to make voting as easy as possible. Plus, the College will pay for the postage on all outbound mail, saving you the hunt for a stamp.
This recent partnership is the product of efforts by MiddVote and the Democracy Initiative of Community Engagement to increase democratic participation on campus. According to the US Census Bureau, only 45 percent of people ages 18 to 24 were registered at the time of the 2010 election and only 21 percent actually participated therein. MiddVote aims to change this so all eligible Middlebury students cast a ballot on Nov. 6.
Just like this year, 2010 was not a presidential election year, which no doubt played a significant role in the dismal turnout (there is something much sexier about deciding on the ruler of the free world than pulling the lever on a county sheriff). Nevertheless, the election had tremendous impact in Congress, proving that midterm elections count. As young people, we cannot run for most offices and we do not have disposable income for political contributions, but our vote is one place where we are equal to everyone else in this country in our ability to make our voices heard, and this year is no different.
Despite our pulpit, even we admit to being susceptible to voter apathy. A quick show of hands among the Campus Editorial Board earlier in the week revealed that, despite nearly full participation in the last presidential election, a mere four of the 21 editors present cast a vote in either the 2013 general elections or 2014 primaries. Such meager practice of our preaching led to a period of self-reflection among the board where we asked each other the question that we hope this piece will prompt you to ask yourselves: why don’t we vote?
Aside from not knowing how and where to register, the answers we heard from each other are the same reasons given by people across the country, and probably all over this campus. With National Voter Registration Day approaching this Saturday and deadlines to vote absentee following shortly thereafter, we ask that you take a look at these arguments before skipping out on another election.
“It’s too tedious to navigate the absentee ballot form.”
• While this process may have been a chore in the past, the new partnership does all of the heavy lifting for you. TurboVote assembles necessary information for your region, either here in Vermont or back home and automatically sends you a ballot every time you have an upcoming election, even primaries and special elections. Plus, the College pays for your postage, so you don’t even need to go into town.
“I don’t have time to research all the necessary information to make an informed decision.”
• This does take time, though the invention of the Internet has made this process much easier. However, what is important to understand is that voting is your civic duty. Living in America affords us certain privileges that the majority of the outside world does not have the luxury to enjoy. These essential freedoms are forged and maintained in the ballot box. To shirk this responsibility is not only to turn your back on your community, but also to abandon its future to the hands of others who may make decisions for the wrong reasons. Twentieth century American drama critic George Jean Nathan once famously said, “bad leaders are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” It is better to have voted and lost than never to have voted at all.
“Non-presidential elections are less important.”
• Not true. With the current gridlock in Congress, more money is being pumped into local elections than ever before. The Citizens United decision means that corporations and high net-worth individuals with unknown agendas can theoretically bankroll the elections of school boards, local legislators and municipal governments; and unless you can counter with a fully loaded Super PAC of your own, your only real weapon against their potentially pernicious advances is your vote. Wield it wisely and bring your friends.
“I live out of state and local elections make no difference to me because I study at Middlebury all year.”
• According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagment (CIRCLE), 23 percent of students who registered but did not vote for in the 2012 election said they were out of town or away from home. Given that the College pulls students from all 50 states, this is likely the case for the majority of students on campus. However, if you do not feel engaged in your hometown, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved here. Vermont is a state with a strong culture of civic engagement and lively town meetings. Combine that with the ease of access afforded by the new partnership between TurboVote and the College, and you couldn’t have better conditions to try your hand in civic engagement.
“My vote doesn’t matter.”
• This is a cynical view that might hold in presidential elections, but when voting at the local level could not be farther from the truth. For example, in the 2009 Vermont Democratic Gubernatorial Primary election, the difference between Gov. Peter Shumlin’s first term in the Governor’s office and him not making it out of the primary was a little less that two Feb classes worth of votes (197). Furthermore, the gap between Gov. Shumlin’s first place finish and that of the fourth place candidate was less than 3,000 votes, which is roughly the sum of all students, faculty and staff of the College. If you really want your vote to matter, vote local.
We commend the College for leading us to the polls and challenge the Middlebury community to think about how to push this initiative even further. Not not only because it is the College’s legal obligation under the Higher Education Act, but also because a liberal arts education should prepare its pupils for a beneficial and productive life in free society, of which thoughtful participation in the democratic process is the crux. Some schools flash the TurboVote link in their football stadiums, while others bus all their students to the ballot box on Election Day. Middlebury can be a leader here too. Regardless of the strategy, it is the duty of the College to encourage and to enable the student body to vote at every possible opportunity, and it is the students’ privilege to seize them. Election season is upon us. Make your vote count.
Artwork by NOLAN ELLSWORTH
