Election Day 2008 is fast approaching. With less than a week left, voters across the country are ready to make the all-important trip to the polls. As students here at UW-Madison get ready for Election Day, we should be thankful we live in a state with early voting and same day registration.
Because of the record turnout expected on the UW campus, the lines to vote will be long, especially in the evening hours. A great way to avoid standing in line for hours is to vote early. Anyone who lives in the city of Madison can go to the City Clerks Office at 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., next to the Monona Terrace, and vote now until Election Day.
With classes, work and extracurricular activities, it is often difficult to find time to vote on Election Day, and going to the clerk's office allows you to choose a day that works best for you. You can even register at the clerk's office, which is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Wisconsin also makes voting easier by allowing people the opportunity to register at their polling locations on Election Day. As one of eight states with same day registration, Wisconsin is especially voter-friendly for students. Because most students have either not voted in Madison before, or have moved since they voted last, simple registration is essential to protecting student voting rights. Other states are not as lucky. In most states you have to register 25 to 30 days before Election Day in order to vote, and if you miss the deadline, you are out of luck.
Although many of you already re-registered to vote at your current address, please remind your friends that they can register at their polling location on Election Day. All they will need is their Wisconsin drivers license number or the last four digits of their social security number and proof of residency such as a utility bill, copy of their lease, current bank statement, phone bill, or any other government document, including mail from UW-Madison. If someone does not have any proof of residence, they can bring a friend to the polls, who has a proof of residence, and the friend can vouch for the voter. Students living in the dorms only need their student ID to register because the university provides residency lists to the poll workers.
The benefits of same day voter registration are clear. States with same day voter registration during the 2004 presidential election boasted an average 12 percent higher voter turnout than states without similar laws. In a country where voter turnout, even for presidential elections, is generally low, the increase could mean the difference between an Obama presidency and eight more years of Bush-like politics.
However, we cannot take our ability to register on Election Day for granted. On March 12, 2007 state Rep. Suzanne Jeskewitz (R-Menominee Falls) introduced Assembly Bill 158, which attempted to ban same day registration. In addition, a few months ago, Republican Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen sued the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board in an attempt to make Wisconsin city clerks crosscheck all the voter registration information for recently-registered voters. Van Hollen realizes this task would be next to impossible for already overworked clerk offices, and it was most likely an attempt to disenfranchise traditionally democratic voters like students, minorities and low-income people.
This Tuesday, Nov. 4, is our generation's opportunity to make our voices heard throughout the halls of Washington. Politicians will not listen to us if we stay home on Election Day. Remember the old adage, history is written by those who show up."" Election Day is our chance to show up, cast our ballot and be part of the most historic election of our generation. You can spend five minutes voting on Tuesday or spend a lifetime wishing you had. So stand up and be counted because as Obama has said numerous times, this election isn't about him, it's about us. Yes. We. Can.
For more information about polling locations and ballots, check out http://vpa.wi.gov and http://elections.state.wi.us.
Claire Rydell is Chair of the College Democrats of Madison. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
