Rock the Vote Calls for Candidates to Stand Up for Student Voting Rights in Iowa

[Adelante]

Press release today

Rock the Vote Statement on Iowa Student Voting Rights

Dec. 11, 2007: Official statement from Rock the Vote Executive Director Heather Smith regarding the rights of college students to vote in the upcoming Iowa caucuses:

“Over the past week, several campaigns, candidates and political reporters have stated that college students who moved to Iowa to attend school should not vote in the Iowa caucuses.

“These statements are a frustrating and disappointing attempt to suppress the student vote, and are also legally incorrect. According to the Iowa Secretary of State, all Iowa students have the right to vote in the town where they attend college in Iowa. From the Secretary’s website:

‘If you are from another state (i.e. Illinois) and are attending college in Iowa (i.e. Iowa State University), you may register to vote in:
• your Iowa college town or
• your home state (hometown) and vote absentee - subject to the laws of your home state.’

“To tell students that they can only vote in the town that they came from, rather than in the town where they live, is a clear effort to disenfranchise student voters. Attempts on the part of campaigns to deter eligible voters from voting should be forcefully and immediately denounced.

“These statements are even more disturbing given the unprecedented levels of engagement we’re seeing from today’s young voters – both in participating in the 2008 campaigns, organizing their peers to register and vote in the caucuses and primaries, and in their recent historic turnout levels in the 2004 and 2006 elections. Young adults’ growing political participation should be encouraged, not deterred.

“Rock the Vote urges every campaign and candidate to issue a statement that validates students’ right to vote in Iowa and lauds young Americans for their increased engagement in the political process. We also encourage all media outlets to make clear in their reporting leading up to January 3rd that college students have rights equal to any Iowa resident to vote in the Iowa caucuses.

“Students go to a college or university for 4 or 5 years and many stay on in those communities afterwards. They pay sales tax, many work full or part-time jobs and pay income tax, and they are subject to the laws of the community in which they live – they have every right to vote in that community, legally and morally.

“It is important to note that this is an issue larger than the Iowa caucuses. Legally, students have the right to vote where they go to school in virtually every state across the country. Despite this, we see challenges to student voters year after year. As we have in the past, Rock the Vote will make sure all students know their rights in 2008, and will work to ensure all eligible voters are allowed to register and vote in the 2008 elections.

“Rock the Vote’s Iowa program Rock the Caucus aims to mobilize high school and college students to caucus on January 3rd. As always, Rock the Vote will aggressively ensure young people know that if they live in Iowa, they can vote in Iowa, and let them know where candidates stand on important issues like student voting rights.

“Again, Rock the Vote urges every candidate to issue a statement that clearly validates students’ right to vote in Iowa and lauds young Americans for their increased engagement in the political process.

For more information:
Kat Barr, 202-994-9528, kat (at) rockthevote.com

[MadBadger]

1. K&R

[jefferson_dem]

2. K&R.

This is a HUGE *democratic / Democratic* issue. Let's all stand up say "FUCK NO" to those who seek to disenfranchise these young citizens.

[cascadiance]

3. Tomorrow's a good time to call U of I students... Classes are canceled!

due to inclement weather...

http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2007/12/11/LatestNews/Ui.Classes.Canceled-3141864.shtml

[Pirate Smile]

7. That was today. I bet they have classes tomorrow.

[Usrename]

4. K&R

Fighting to get all legally cast votes counted is NOT cheating.

[Adelante]

5. Statement from Iowa PIRG and Iowa Student Leaders

Iowa Student Leaders Decry Calls for Disenfranchisement

In response to a column posted today by the Des Moines Register and statements recently issued by several presidential candidates, we as Iowa student leaders are urging all of the presidential candidates to encourage youth turnout, instead of discouraging youth participation in the Iowa caucuses. The full statement is below.

Statement in Support of Full Voting Rights for Iowa Youth

It is has recently come to our attention that some presidential candidates are suggesting that students in Iowa should not caucus. We're shocked that any national figure would advocate for youth disenfranchisement. This goes against the very grain of our democracy and the core values of our nation. We live here in Iowa for the majority of the year and make our homes here; we are active participants in our communities- volunteering, giving back and contributing intellectual and financial resources to the state. To say that students who didn’t grow up in Iowa, but who now live here, shouldn’t have the choice to participate in the caucuses is blatant voter disenfranchisement.

We have been working hard to encourage our peers to be active participants in their democracy because college students and young people should be more involved in politics. The Secretary of State’s office is clear that college students have the choice and the right to vote and caucus in Iowa. We all know that more young people need to get involved in the political process and we are asking you to take the following steps to ensure that this happens:

First, make it clear through your actions and issue a statement that you support all young Iowans – including students – right to vote and caucus in Iowa whether we are from Iowa or attend college in Iowa. Second, come in to our communities and actively seek us out and engage us on the issues we care about.

Sincerely,

Barret Anderson, Student Government President, University of Iowa
Alan Cosby, Student Government Chief of Staff, University of Iowa
Alejandro Alonso, Student Senator, University of Iowa
Harrison Wheeler, Student Government Publicity Chair, University of Iowa
Brian Phillips, Student Body President, Iowa State University
Dan Sadowski, Student Government President, Drake University
Julian Vandervelde, Right Guard for Hawkeyes football team, University of Iowa
Frederick Warren, Co-President Drake Environmental Action League, Drake University
Kaitlyn Golden, Student Leader, Drake University
Jessica Fischer, Student Leader, Drake University
Megan Bailey, Student Leader, Drake University
Rachel Haase, Student leader, Drake University
Kate Preston, Student leader, Drake University
Megan Stephenson, Iowa PIRG coordinator, University of Iowa
Colleen Delahanty, Iowa PIRG coordinator, University of Iowa
Stacey Wilson, Iowa PIRG Chair, Drake University
Devin Hartman, Iowa PIRG Chair, Iowa State University
Eleanor Kahn, Iowa PIRG Chair, Iowa State University Iowa State
Ryan Crane, Iowa PIRG Chair, University of Northern Iowa
Kristen Paeth, Iowa PIRG Co-Chair, University of Northern Iowa
Samuel Charnetski, President of Inter-Fraternity Council, University of Northern Iowa
Kristin Langner, President of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Club, University of Northern Iowa

[maximusveritas]

6. It looks like their efforts to suppress the vote might backfire n/t

[ClarkUSA]

8. Rock The Vote knows one candidate is down with it: "Obama Champions Voting Rights"

Link to "Obama Champions Voting Rights": http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/11/191151/01

It's time for Biden, Richardson, Dodd and Clinton to unequivocally decide whether they support the LEGAL right of Iowa students from out of state to caucus or not.

As Mike Connery of Future Majority wrote today:

Seriously how hard is it to understand that both the letter and spirit of the law encourage participation by Iowa students. This whole episode
is really revealing the opportunistic, sleazy side of Democratic politics. That it should be this difficult to get Democratic candidates to say that
young people can and should vote...

http://www.futuremajority.com/node/833

No wonder the youth vote is so low when Democratic candidates discourage students from voting LEGALLY out of self-serving political expedience.