PLNU prof says 'vote'

The government of the people, by the people and for the people is gearing up once again to allow citizens to cast their votes. With the upcoming primaries on Feb. 5, registered California voters will finally get to participate directly in the presidential campaign.

Students who are U.S. citizens and will be at least 18 by the Nov. 4 Election Day may register to vote in the state of which they are residents. But while some college students are adamant about voting, others are cynical or apathetic about the process, wondering if their votes really matter.

Linda Beail, a PLNU professor of political science, says many students don’t vote because of the mobility and busyness of their lifestyles. Older people are more likely to be active voters because they have put down roots, she says, and tend to be more knowledgeable about the candidates’ positions.

Beail says that students should vote because the next president’s decisions will affect them, though perhaps not directly or immediately. She notes that decisions regarding Iraq, the economy and healthcare will impact college students’ futures.

“If we’ve seen anything in the past week with what’s happened in Iowa and New Hampshire, it’s that the youth vote matters,” said Beail. “There seems to be a generational divide. The youth are voting for different people and different issues. Cumulatively, it has a huge impact.”

Jeff Janowiec, a part-time political science student at PLNU and a staff sergeant in the Marine Corps, is adamant about voting; he votes in every election he can—including the primaries.

“Over the years I have come to a much deeper understanding that our political process in the United States is on the brink of a great disaster if I don’t get a better grasp on exactly what’s happening in today’s society and culture,” said Janowiec.

Other students, like Marissa Godfrey, are less passionate about the effectiveness of the voting process.

“Yes I’m going to vote,” said Godfrey, a sophomore pre-nursing major at PLNU. “I mean, it’s the presidential election. But it’s not like my vote matters. [A presidential candidate] can win the popular vote overall and still lose the election. That’s what I don’t like about it.”
Beail argues that students’ votes really do matter.

“You guys are a really untapped part of the electorate,” she said. “You bring fresh issues and fresh hope that can invigorate the voting process.”
Students may register by completing a registration form, available at the DMV or at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/english.pdf.

The deadline to register to vote is 15 days prior to Election Day. For the California primary, the deadline is Jan. 21.

Students who wish to participate in the local elections of their home county can do so by mailing in a vote-by-mail application to their county elections official no later than seven days prior to the election. Vote-by-mail applications can be downloaded from www.sos.ca.gov/elections/Outreach/absentee/links/absentee_app_primary_fill.pdf.

More information on how to register to vote and how to apply for a vote-by-mail, or absentee, ballot is available on the California Secretary of State’s Web site.
For a quick guide of the candidates for the primary election, visit www.easyvoterguide.org.