Friday, August 27, 2004

Student Suffrage

Yes it has been eighty-four years since women won the right to vote. And now in 2004, students are working for that right. I just read an article which really enlightened me. It seems that many states won't allow their out-of-state students vote in local and national elections. They can only send in absentee ballots to their home state. This was news to me. Students in some states are rallying and have formed a federal lawsuit pushing the issue. I applaud them. Students should vote. Students should be able to make their voices heard in local elections. It makes sense.

Here in Provo, I don't think that we have the same issue. Students here don't want to vote. When weighed in a scale against losing their residency, most students here choose to give up their rights to vote. Sad. There are approximately 30,000 students at BYU alone and nearly that at UVSC. As of 2000, there were 105,000 residents in Provo. If even half of us voted in local elections we could own this city. As it is, the Provo City Council passes anti-student laws. I am a native Utahn so choosing between losing residency and voting is not an issue for me. But I am an independant when it comes to taxes so I don't think residency would matter much to me.

Voting is important. Visit www.studentsuffrage.com for more information.

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