While rarely discussed outside of voting rights circles, the
disenfranchisement of college students is a prevalent problem nationwide. There are a variety of obstacles
that stand in the way of full student particapation, including unclear
residency and identification requirements, lackluster allocation of
voting resources, and the risk of provisional or absentee ballots not
being counted.
Students are fighting back, however, both by contesting the legality of local election board decisions through litigation and advocating for lasting policy reforms. The Student Association for Voter Empowerment is one such organization doing the latter. With the help of two prominent Illinois Democrats, they've placed a bill in both chambers of Congress that would protect the voting rights of students. From SAVE's press release:
As the forefront organization for youth election protection, SAVE applauds the introduction of the Student Voter Opportunity to Encourage Registration (VOTER) Act of 2008—-a federal bill conceived of, developed by, and championed through our student members. Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Congressman Steven LaTourette (R-OH) have joined in a bipartisan effort to sponsor both house and senate versions of this legislation today. [...]
The Student VOTER Act applies the principles of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (or “Motor Voter Act”) to publicly funded colleges and universities, so that young Americans can gain the opportunity to use schools as voter registration agencies and acclimate more confidently and readily into our nation’s political process.
“The very introduction of this bill is a monumental victory for young voters,” said, Matthew Segal, the executive director of SAVE. “While many congressional members pay lip service to the idea of increasing civic engagement, it is refreshing to see Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Schakowsky and Mr. LaTourette act, and call on our education institutions to be more proactive in getting students signed up and aware of the laws in their various states and districts.”
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