Outrage in Columbia County

[Gardeaux08]

I am a non-traditional student at Bloomsburg University in Columbia County. As you can all guess, there are TONS of election related activities going on right now on campus. There was a big rally yesterday where both the University Dems and the College Republicans worked together to register voters. One of my friends was a volunteer for this rally and was sent by an adviser to the Columbia County courthouse to get a large amount of voter registration forms in preparation for the event. She told a group of us in a literature class yesterday that the clerk refused to give her the forms at first. The reason being that, even if a student could get through the "difficult" process of registering, they hardly have the mental capacity to actually vote!! My friend spoke to the clerk's supervisor who eventually gave her the forms but the adviser, one of our professors, has contacted the authorities with the intent of pressing charges.

Now, I know that Bloom isn't an Ivy League college by any stretch, but to insinuate that anyone on our campus wouldn't be able to fill out a voter registration form nor cast a ballot is downright offensive. Not to mention the fact that a county clerk has no right to deny anyone of legal age a vote. What is going on?!

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. It's called Cindy Lay syndrome....

and it appears to be catching!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=180&topic_id=3708

(excerpt: T.J. Wood, a Champions resident who volunteers as an unofficial voter registrar, said he went to the annex Aug. 16 to inquire about why he had been receiving a dwindling number of registration forms and had been denied forms Aug. 12.

Wood said that Lay told him that a policy effective Aug. 11 restricted issuance of the forms.

Wood said when he asked about the origin of the policy, Lay told him she was informed at a "downtown meeting."

"She became really angry that I was asking these questions," Wood said. "And then she said, 'Do you want me to get a police officer to talk to you?' She asked me for my driver's license, and I got real worried and said, 'No, I'm leaving.' ")

Fight the power!
FSC

[Gardeaux08]

2. Crazy!

What kills me is this event was hosted by both sides...there was no agenda other than encouraging students to vote and to get the campus energized about the political process. There were state representatives from each party at this event!! It was a fair as could possibly be. I guess I can be thankful and proud of my friend for standing her ground. But I wonder if they gave her the forms simply because it was for a University event and there would be no way our University president would let that slide without, at the very least, some bad press.

[fudge stripe cookays]

3. They're running scared!

There are ENTIRELY too many Democrats registering. Everywhere. They are terrified that Bush will lose, and they are going to do anything they can (even if it means stamping on the civil liberties of a few green little conservatives at the same time.

They wouldn't want anyone catching wind of the future draft. You guys are the demographic they really need and are losing ground with FAST.

FSC

[JPZenger]

4. Afraid Students Will Take Over Towns

There are some towns that are afraid that the students would take over their municipal elections. This is particularly true in towns where the local councils are adopting strict ordinances to limit the locations where students can live and to strictly limit the number of students that can live together (such as only 2 per apartment). If the students all registered in their college town and voted, that would be the end of anti-student regulations.

[Gardeaux08]

5. Never thought of that...

and in Bloomsburg, that could be a real threat to the locals.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. There are several town in PA like that

but student voting in off-year elections is minimal at best. Every two years at least one Penn State student runs for State College Borough Council and loses badly.