Cross-posted at Project Vote's blog, Voting Matters

Weekly Voting Rights News Update

"Party politics is driving up registration at unusually high rates," Project Vote Deputy Director Michael Slater said in Sunday's New York Times. Slater was referencing the surge of voter registration from both partisan and non-partisan drives "in an effort to change the demographics" of an imbalanced electorate. The flood of interest in the electoral process reportedly has election officials in Louisiana overworked and concerned over how many rejected voter applicants will show up in November thinking they are on the voting rolls.

Louisiana's drive is part of a growing trend of large-scale voter registration drives seen among many groups, including Project Vote and the Obama Campaign, "in an effort to change the demographics of the electorate."

"Nationally 39 percent of eligible blacks and 46 percent of eligible Latinos are not registered to vote, compared with 29 percent of eligible whites, according to a 2006 study by Project Vote, a nonpartisan group that promotes voting in low-income and minority communities," wrote Times’ reporter Shaila Dewan.

The Democratic drive produced 74,000 applications and "has raised complaints from registrants about large numbers of duplicate, invalid or incomplete applications," bringing forth an investigation by Republican secretary of state, Jay Dardenne," Dewan wrote.

The "biggest complaints about the drive have come from Republican registrars."

Considering the disparity in the electorate and the sudden influx of voter interest, one supporter of the Louisiana Democratic drive cautioned that "[i]nstead of throwing up complaints, they should be working to get as many people as possible registered."

About a third of the applications have not been processed and many require more information.

Slater said high numbers of incomplete applications are not unusual in large-scale voter registration drives. "[A]s a rule of thumb, 35 percent of voter drive applications were new voters, 35 percent were change of address, and 30 percent were duplicates or incomplete."

Partisans point the finger in different directions for how voter registration drives should be handled. "Democrats say the burden is on the registrars to double-check and verify application information," while the spokesperson for the secretary of state puts the burden on canvassers who should be "educated enough to leave the house until a card is in order."

With registrars concerned that there will be "utter bedlam" at the polls if the invalid cards represent real people who might try to vote, there are steps they can take to increase the likelihood that a voter applicant becomes a registered voter - even if the applicant made an error in the original form. Project Vote policy brief, "Correcting Deficient Applications" offers solutions, including keeping pending files of deficient applications and providing notice to correct the information.

Project Vote’s Michael Slater was recently quoted in Tampa publication, Creative Loafing on the state of youth voting in the United States.

When they talk about youth vote, it is code for college kids," Project Vote's Slater said. "The real challenge is: Will we see anyone go beyond the college voters to the other half of young voters? How do we find issues that appeal to them beyond those on the campus?”

That demographic includes more young voters of color and in lower economic ranges, groups that are already horribly underrepresented at the polls.

“The other half aren't touched by the campaigns as effectively," Slater said. "When you leave campuses, you lose some of the intensity that drives participation."

Project Vote recently released a research memo on the demographic make-up of youth voters in the U.S.

The article mentions Project Vote’s goal to register 1.2 million low income, minority, and young citizens in time for the 2008 general election in November, “[h]alf of those will be young voters. In Florida, where ACORN does Project Vote's work, that will equate to 60,000-100,000 possible new voters.”

"Every sign indicates this is going to be a big, big election," Slater said. "I think we may have a real opportunity to expand the electorate to include people who haven't participated or who haven't been engaged in the process."

Project Vote is currently more than halfway towards its goal with 615,000 voters registered as of June 1, 2008.

Project Vote’s Michael Slater was recently quoted in Tampa publication, Creative Loafing on the state of youth voting in the United States.

    "When they talk about youth vote, it is code for college kids," Project Vote's Slater said. "The real challenge is: Will we see anyone go beyond the college voters to the other half of young voters? How do we find issues that appeal to them beyond those on the campus?”

    That demographic includes more young voters of color and in lower economic ranges, groups that are already horribly underrepresented at the polls.

    “The other half aren't touched by the campaigns as effectively," Slater said. "When you leave campuses, you lose some of the intensity that drives participation."



Project Vote recently released a research memo on the demographic make-up of youth voters in the U.S.

The article mentions Project Vote’s goal to register 1.2 million low income, minority, and young citizens in time for the 2008 general election in November, “[h]alf of those will be young voters. In Florida, where ACORN does Project Vote's work, that will equate to 60,000-100,000 possible new voters.”

"Every sign indicates this is going to be a big, big election," Slater said. "I think we may have a real opportunity to expand the electorate to include people who haven't participated or who haven't been engaged in the process."

Project Vote is currently more than halfway towards its goal with 615,000 voters registered as of June 1, 2008.