Leos not rocking the vote
Campus Times
March 5, 2004
Only two out of 22 students voted on Super Tuesday, according to an informal
survey conducted at the University of La Verne.
The numbers paralleled what was going on in the rest of the country.
Voting records for 18- to 25-year-olds have continued to dramatically decrease
for 25 years, according to Youth Vote Coalition – the nation’s largest
organization aimed at increasing civic participation.
“I don’t feel that I should vote when I’m not educated enough,”
said Gerlaine Kiamco, 21, an anthropology major. “I am too lazy to educate
myself.”
Other ULV students offered their own justifications for not voting.
Lauren Friestad, 18, a communications major, did not make it to the polls
because she was in class and her “absentee ballot was not available.”
“I voted but I used the absentee ballot,” said Wendy Schwartz, 20,
a social science major. “I think a lot of people do not vote because of
other things like school and work.”
Other reasons given by students for not voting in the California primary were
hectic work schedules, a lack of knowledge, forgetfulness and not being registered.
According to Youth Vote, “roughly 33 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds turned
out to vote” in the 2000 presidential race.
But in the same election, approximately 70 percent of those over 25 voted,
according to Mark Hugo Lopez, research director for the Center for Information
and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement – an organization that tracks
the civic and political participation of young Americans.
Ben Mulchin put it into perspective: “It is the most basic level of participation
in our country,” said the 18-year-old history major. “If you do not
vote, you do not have the right to complain.”
“I think more people should care about what is going on,” said Daniel
Reagan, 18, one of the two surveyors who voted.
However, all students interviewed on March 2 had many concerns beyond their
own inconveniences, the top two being the Iraq conflict and school issues.
“I am mostly concerned about the war,” Kiamco said. “I am against
it because I know a lot of people in the military and I see many going to Iraq
and not coming back.”
Cutbacks on programs such as art courses worried Thomas Schotke, 26, a psychology
major.
Participation in people under 25 has declined since 1972 when 18- to 21-year-olds
were first allowed to vote, according to Lopez.
ULV students thought candidates should do a better job to attract attention.
“Political topics should be easier for everyone to access and understand,”
Kiamco said. “Then I would be more secure in my decisions and confident
enough to vote.”
A few believed that voting should be made easier: “My polling place is
too far,” said Angela Black, 21, a behavioral science major. “I think
it would be nice if we could have polling places at schools.”