The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 19, Ed. 1, Friday, October 22, 2004 Page: 6 of 28
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ELECTION
Friday October 22 2004
Many students unacquainted with the issues
Busy schedules cited as a common reason for not voting keeping informed
STORY By JACI SCHNEIDER
iA
In the last presidential
. election most current col-
-. '" lege students were Just
learning how to drive and
studying lor tne sms out
I' in less than two weeks
they will have their first
opportunity to help choose the leader of the United
States of America.
Getting involved in politics can be intimidating
especially for college students too busy studying for
tests playing sports and having fun with friends to
keep up with the latest breaking election coverage.
"Getting your hand around all of it can be tough"
said Dr. David Dillman professor of political science.
A survey conducted by Declare Yourself a nonpar-
tisan nonprofit campaign to encourage voting found
that most young people don't vote because they feci
uninformed about the candidates and the issues.
Learning about issues takes time. Figuring out
which of the six candidates would make the best pres-
ident takes more than watching a few political com-
mercials and reading the morning news for a couple of
days said Dr. Neal Coates assistant professor of polit-
ical science.
"We all have to be aware of the different positions
that the candidates might take; if we only spend a few
minutes watching the news we won't get the whole
picture" Coates said. "You have to watch TV and read
the news over a period of time."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau the No. 1 rea-
son people don't vote is they are too busy; 21 percent
of registered non-voters reported that they didn't have
time to vote in the 2000 Election.
"Think of all the things you could be doing instead
of voting" Coates said. "Wouldn't ou rather be play-
ing flag football? I did that when I was a student."
ACU student Brian Lord had stuff to do tod
Coates said. "But he was called up by the president to
serve in Iraq."
Lord a Marine Reserve and sophomore political
science major from Winder Ga. served in Fallujah
Iraq for about seven months Coates said.
"What better things did he have to do? He could
have played flag football or taken a nap" Coates said.
Although not all students need to serve their coun-
try by fighting in a war they can serve by casting their
vote.
"College students need to vote so if becomes a habit like safe driving or eating your
vegetables. It makes us all better citizens and makes our democracy healthier:"
Dr. NhI Coatei assistant professor of political science
"If students care about war the ciouomy - deci-
sions made cither by the president or Congress - or
where this country is going to go they should get out
and otc." Coates said.
In the 2000 presidential election only 36 percent of affect students with friends and family members who
U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 24 voted may be fighting but it will also affect everyone In the
the economy as two major
issues that students
should address.
President George W.
Bush and John Kerry both
oppose terrorism Coates
said but they will have
different approaches on how to address it.
While Bush has said America should stay in Iraq as
long as needed Kerry has said he can have troops out
of the country in a year Coates said. The issue will
according to the Census Bureau the lowest turnout of
any age group.
Registering to ote is a simple process and many
organizations try to make it as easy as possible for col-
lege students to register and learn about the issues.
Web sites like unit locfcllm otr.com and inm tlechircy-
oursclfcom arc specially made to encourage college
students to make their voices heard.
Students don't make up a large portion of the vot-
ing population but they should vote an way Coates
said.
"College students need to vote so it becomes a
habit like safe driving or eating our vegetables" he
said. "It makes us all better citizens and makes our
democracy healthier."
According the Declare Yourself survey 77 percent
of registered voters aged 25-29 registered when they
were 18. The survey concluded that the sooner voting
becomes a habit the harder it is to break.
Rather than blindly choosing the better-looking
candidate of the bunch students should decide what
their priorities arc before voting
"People arc going to have different perspectives"
Dillman said. Those perspectives will affect what they
think is important in a candidate. Students should ask
themselves two questions when considering how to
vote Dillman suggested: Mow do the issues affect me
personally? And what would make the United States a
belter society?
"There would be some economic Issues that I might
support because I might get a good tax break"
Dillman explained "but in the best interest of the
United States 1 might oppose it."
Although many issues relate directly to students
both Dillman and Coates named the war in Iraq and
future in the way America continues to deal with dic-
tators and terrorism.
"Clearly it should be a concern" Dillman said. He
added that another question to ask is: "Will your gen-
eration be less free than ours?
"It (terrorism will affect us not only in security
but In trade-offs in terms of civil liberties" Dillman
said.
The second big issue the economy will also affect
the future lives ofstudents especially students prepar-
ing to graduate and enter the job market. According to
the Declare Yourself survey young people ranked Jobs
and the economy as the second most important issue;
79 pcrccnts cited the economy as very Important and
education was the only issue ranked higher with 87
percent.
"When you guys hit the job market there will be a
debt that may be a burden" Dillman said. "Your gen-
eration could be paying it off the rest of your life."
Although people may find it difficult to determine
what exactly Bush and Kerry say about taxes and the
economy the issue is worth investigating
"They've both IBush and Kerry not yet seriously
dealt with that issue because it's such a tough issue"
Dillman said "but it's a concern that will affect students.
"You can know generally what these guys are going
to do but not terribly specifically" he said. "The
American people need to ask some questions."
Becoming informed is something students need to
work on Coates and Dillman said. Issues affect them
because they're getting ready to enter the real world
and experience the results of the election.
"If college students really sat down and thought
about it they'd realize a lot of issues affect them"
Coates said. "So they need to get out there and vote."
( Each state is listed followed by the
''candidate who leads in that state's
pods and the number of electoral
votes the state has. This informa-
tion was taken from the Cook
Political Report a non-partisan
online analysis of electoral politics.
'Alabama -Bush -9
' Alaekt-Bueh-3
Artaona-Bueh-10
Arkanees-Bueh-6
MKornla-ferry -56
Colorado - Undetermined - 9
Connecticut -ferry -7
Dataware -ferry -3
Ditfriet of Columbia ferry - 3
Heri-Undetermined -27
Georgia -Bun -15
HeweH-feny-4
uWeho-Bueh-4
HUnels-ferry-21
Indiana -Bush -11
lewa - Undatarmlrwd 7
fenoae-Bueh-9
fentuaky-Buah-8
' Louisiana -Bush- 9
Maine -ferry -4
Maryland -ferry -10
! MaasachuMttt-ferry -12
Miahlsan- Kerry -17
Minnesota - Undetermined -10
Missouri -Bush -11
Montana -Bush -3
Neeraeke-Bueh-S
Nevada -Undetermined-5
''New Hampshire Undetermined - 4
New Jersey -ferry -16
New Metdeo Undetermined 5
New York -Kerry -31
North Carolina -Bush -16
' NorthOsheta-Buah-3
OWo-Undetermined-20
OUehome-Bueh-7
Cretan -ferry -7
PannaytVsnls Undetermined 21
Rhode Island -ferry -4
BeuthCsroNna-Bueh-8
Boueti Poltoto Bush J
Electoral College a foreign concept to some
t)1sMMasss?Bvsh-ll
T1eaBslwh34
(;wasH;fenv-11 .? .
j fiWNt WpJWG PsJeJlS a
ft V ' " "
By JACI SCHNEIDER
Opinion Editor
When voters cast their ballots Nov. 2 they're
not voting for the president of the United
States. They're choosing electors who will meet
to choose the president more than one month
later on Dec. 13.
The Electoral College is as old as democracy
in America but few citizens actually under-
stand how it works.
"I remember it" said Courtney Francois
sophomore criminal Justice major from Dallas
"but I don't remember anything about it."
Ana Clonts freshman vocal performance
major from Temple said she like most people
learned about tne Electoral College in high
school but doesn't recall exactly how it works.
"I did it way back of the beginning of high
school" Clonts said "and I'm not even inter-
ested in politics."
As most students learned in school the
founding fathers didn't agree on how their pres-
ident should be elected; some wanted Congress
to pick and some thought the people should
decide. To compromise they laid out the rules
for Electoral College in Article II section 1 of
the Constitution.
Each state has a set number of electors; the
number equals the number of the state's U.S.
senators (2) plus the number of its U.S. house
representatives which is different for each state
based on population.
On Dec. 13 the electors will meet in the
state capital and will vote for the president
based on the majority vote in the state.
Although Electors usually choose the majority's
pick for president they arc not required to.
"1 think that pretty much sucks" said Jason
Grassic freshman undeclared major from
Roswcll N.M. "I think that as a democracy the
people are the ones who should elect the leader
of the nation."
Grassie isn't alone in his disapproval of the
system. Much of the American public became
critical of the Electoral College system after the
2000 election in which Al Gore won the popu-
lar vote but George W. Bush won the electoral
vote.
"1 thought that was kind of ironic" Grassie
said "and it seems like it's not fair."
To win the election the candidate must win
a majority of the electoral votes 270 of 538. In
2000 George W. Bush received 271.
Analysts have already predicted that a major-
ity of Texans will vote for George W. Bush this
November. All 34 Electoral votes should then
be cast for Bush. However states like Florida
Ohio and Pennsylvania are still undecided
leaving 27 20 and 21 Electoral votes up for
grabs.
BHaBLBBBBisi). W
Solid Bush
Solid Kerry
Partisan Leaning
Battleground States
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 93, No. 19, Ed. 1, Friday, October 22, 2004, newspaper, October 22, 2004; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101899/m1/6/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.