New York U. law center eases voting concerns
Oct. 6, 2008
Ohio State U. -- A New York-based public policy and law institute believes students are ill-informed this election season and is making an effort to change that.
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan institution with a focus on voting rights and election-related issues. The center has recently launched a tool on their Web site, www.brennancenter.org, intended to educate students on registration and voting laws and prevent discouragement by some states' misleading standards.
Jennifer Rosenberg, an attorney working at the Brennan Center as a fellow on student voting, said the Legal Guide to Student Voting was implemented in response to students' growing concern with registration laws, and confusion over whether or not they are allowed to vote at their college address.
"There is a lot of misinformation out there," Rosenberg said. "State [voting] laws can be confusing, but often times students are targeted by partisan challengers and misguided." She said it is entirely up to the student whether they decide to vote in their home town or at school, but it is important to be informed and take the necessary preparation steps.
The center's voting guide features a map that provides students with correct information on registration and voting laws for the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The resource defines residency, registration, identification and absentee voting requirements for student voters, and is color-coded to indicate the restrictiveness of such laws.
"Our business is to make it as easy as possible for students to register and vote," Rosenberg said. "Greater participation strengthens democracy."
The guide also compiles a list of common myths related to students who want to vote at a different address. According to the voting guide, Ohio law states that Ohio students who consider their college address their permanent home can register and vote in that community. However, registering to vote in one state could be considered an abandonment of voting residency in another. The deadline for registration in Ohio is Monday, Oct. 6.
Kristin Gebhart, an Ohio State senior from Youngstown, Ohio, recently changed her voting residency to her address in Columbus, Ohio. She said she found someone in the oval who was registering students and he helped her make the necessary changes. "It took me three minutes to do," Gebhart said. "If you want to register or have questions, look around. There are resources readily available."
Absentee voting is an option for students who want to vote in their home towns but are unable to travel on election day. Anyone registered to vote in Ohio can vote absentee with identification and an absentee application.
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