No need to be absent on Nov. 4

PUBLISHED by The Daily Free Press

Justin Katz, a College of General Studies freshman from California, was looking forward to participating in the upcoming Nov. 4 election until his father sent him an electronic copy of an absentee ballot, and a simple act of voting became complicated predicament.



"I'm confused over whether I should get an absentee ballot or vote here," he said. "I don't even know where to register."
Katz demonstrates the dilemma many Boston University students said they are facing as the general election draws near - not whether to vote, but how and where.

BU College Democrats Secretary Allison Glass said many students are confused about where to vote and that voting by absentee ballot is the most difficult and perplexing.

"It's the reason why a lot of people don't vote: It's a pain," Glass, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said. "It's not something you can just wake up and do. You have to think a month in advance, or more."

BU College Republicans Vice President Joe Bravoco said the club's primary aim is to encourage students to apply for absentee ballots with plenty of time before the election, because votes in Massachusetts, where the result will always be Democratic, are not as effective for either party.

"College students are really going to decide this election." Bravoco, a CAS junior, said. "A lot of students are acutely aware of politics."

Bravoco urged students applying for absentee ballots to plan ahead and attend to every detail of the process. If information on voters' applications differs even slightly from information they submitted in previous elections, the application will be sent back until the data matches.

Board of Elections Commissioners chairwoman Geraldine Cuddyer said students can vote in Massachusetts as soon as they move into their freshmen dorms.

If they are voting locally, students should bring proof of residency like a bill or lease stating an address before the Oct. 15 deadline. An ID with a local address on it is not required to vote, but it speeds up the process, Cuddyer said.
Students with scholarships from their home states should check if they need to stay registered at home to keep the scholarship, however.

If they choose not to vote in Massachusetts, students can still get absentee ballots from their home states, but the requirements for these ballots differ in each state, Cuddyer said.

"People should check their home state because there might be issues or candidates in their home state they want to make sure they weigh in on," Cuddyer said. "It's not just the president, even though that's what attracts everyone's attention."

Noah Benezra, a College of Communication junior, said he is not yet registered to vote, but he plans to register in Massachusetts. "I want to go for the experience of actually getting in the booth," he said. "The absentee ballot seems less exciting."

Benezra, who is from New York, said he tried applying for an absentee ballot for the presidential primaries, but somehow, he never received the ballot. He said he thinks many students are "deterred" from voting because the system to register is too complex, citing the Massachusetts requirement for proof of residency.

"I've heard a lot of people who say, 'It's not worth it because my state is Democratic or my state is Republican," he said. "If you could do it online, everyone would do it."

Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences freshman Dana Hindman said she is registered to vote in Connecticut, and she plans to apply for an absentee ballot with the hope that her vote will have a greater impact in the sometimes-swing-state than in Massachusetts.

"I'm not sure when to send it in," Hindman said. "Is it three weeks before? My parents will send me one, and I'll send it back. They did it for my siblings."

CGS freshman Ryan Kaye said he could not decide whether to submit an absentee ballot or to vote locally because he is from Arizona, Republican presidential candidate John McCain's home state.

"You have to vote," Kaye said. "My best friend is in Marine boot camp right now, and whether he stays or goes depends on the next president. I try to be politically active and idealistic."