The Virginian-Pilot
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Monday is the deadline to register in time to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, but already more than 50,000 18-year-olds have registered to vote in Virginia.
Since the start of the year, Virginia has added 284,162 new voters, according to a Sept. 25 report from the state board of elections. That’s more than a 6 percent increase over the 2004 voter registrations.
Of Virginia’s new voters, about 42 percent are between 17 and 25 years old. The vast majority of the new voters were between the ages of 17 and 20, which means this will be their first time voting in a presidential election.
“It’s been the busiest presidential election we’ve ever had,” said Pat Harrington, Virginia Beach registrar.
Harrington said her office has been processing between 600 to 700 voter registration applications each day. In Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach had the largest increase of new voters; 16,724 have been added since Jan. 1.
The city also mirrored a trend around the country: Sixty percent of its new voters are under the age of 25.
Voter registration applications are due Monday for the Nov. 4 general election.
To register to vote: www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/documents/VoterRegistration/sbe_voter_app_DOJ-P...
If you believe you’re already registered, you should confirm that before the deadline, Harrington said.
“Don’t wait until election day to check if you’re registered to vote,” she said. “Wait times on election day will be long.”
To check a voter registration or make changes, go to the Virginia State Board of Elections Web site at www.sbe.virginia.gov and look for the big red check mark on the left side of the page.
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Voter Registration
Submitted by joanie06 on Wed, 10/01/2008 at 1:49 pm.
I am in that current age demographic and I am smart enough not to vote for Obama. We are not all naive.
I would never say 'all' of any group. Young adults tend to grab onto popular causes regardless of the issues before them
You are, of course, correct. Generalization is a bad thing. But the point of my rant was, that once registered, the urge to physically go and exercise the voting process wanes.
lump them all together
That's a bad trait our society seem to have of just about any group of people, and it's wrong.
Thanks Joanie
I am in that current age
Submitted by joanie06 on Wed, 10/01/2008 at 1:49 pm.
I am in that current age demographic and I am smart enough not to vote for Obama. We are not all naive.
I would never say 'all' of any group. Young adults tend to grab onto popular causes regardless of the issues before them. Mine was to free Mandela and I did not actually understand the issue until years later. My next one was to get rid of the first Bush because of the economy only to learn it was actually Reagan's fault(mostly).
That's everyone
It seems that the youth of today see politics as "my guy beat your guy", as if the Presidential race is the Super Bowl.
That goes far beyond the young adults. You see that exact same mentality even on the floor of Congress. It's the irrational pack mentality of the human mind.
I spoke with one of these volunteers today
apparently any person can register any other person to vote. That seems quite sad to me. I don't want you to be able to register me to vote. What better way to encourage corruption. I think only the voter, with a GOVERNMENT issued ID, should be able to register. Period.
All I ask....
When I turned 18 I didn't need someone to chase me down with a clipboard, or lead me like a herd of cattle to the polls. I voted because it was important to me, not somebody else. All I ask is that you first time voters research the candidates positions, look at their voting record, their life history and true ambitions in life, and make an informed decision based on your own views. Everthing is not always as it seems on T.V.
if you vote obama
"If you vote for Obama you will get exactly what you deserve."
Finally!
Don't worry, be happy
AP Poll: Obama takes a 7-point lead over McCain (
Does it really mean anything?
Every Presidential election, the cycle is the same. At every gathering where those aged 18-26 are in attendance, clipboards with Register to
Vote displayed on the back appear. As if this means something. You can register until the cows come home, but if you fail to cast your vote in the election, your time is wasted.
It seems that the youth of today see politics as "my guy beat your guy", as if the Presidential race is the Super Bowl. And the attitude seems to be "if the polls show my guy is behind, I'm not going to bother to go stand in those lines to cast a ballot". My point, although rambling, is that the youth of today do not understand the process behind their vote. They see an election as a chance to be on a winning team, not a chance to create history and shape the nation. Worse, they do not sense the importance of their vote. And even with all the volunteers out there with the registration forms, it seems that youth really do not care about voting.
So who is to blame? I have a feeling that subject will be broached in detail right after the election.
I am in that current age
I am in that current age demographic and I am smart enough not to vote for Obama. We are not all naive.