It's election season. That's right, on top of your countless daily tasks and activities, it's time to cast your vote. While this task may seem like an annual ceremony to any adult, for practically all college students, this is the first time chance to have a say in the election of the president. Ironically, this first voting experience takes place, not at the polls but in the dorms. The absentee ballot ensures that voters outside their respective states have an opportunity to vote, and it is the only avenue for out-of-state voting. While many college students are casting their ballots in this manner, others ... haven't.
The consensus seems to be that, while the absentee ballot is a viable form of voting, the task of retrieving and completing it proves tedious. Nitpicky as this may seem, such a slight inconvenience can easily be the difference between a cast ballot and a wasted one. "I'm not exactly sure how to go about it, and I've been too busy to find out," said sophomore Jonathan Michaels about the absentee ballot process.
While the task in itself is hardly the challenge of a lifetime, it seems that many students haven't found the time to complete a ballot. For others, it's not that they're too busy, but that they simply forgot. Freshman Kareem Nasra received the ballot weeks ago, but has yet to complete the form. "I don't know ... it just slipped my mind," Nasra said.
The problem, of course, is that normal poll voting occurs on one very well-known day, whereas absentee ballots are filled out over a period of time, leaving an opportunity for procrastination.
Students like freshman Mike Villagran think the absentee ballot isn't worth filling out. A native to New York, Villagran feels quite sure that his state, a democratic stronghold, will lean left with or without his support. Although not exactly a statement of democratic spirit, it's far from a unique belief.
Despite complaints about the absentee ballot system, there is no denying its general success in giving students a voice. Yet it seems there's always room for improving political efficacy. Methods such as online voting, mailed absentee ballots and a popular vote seem to be plausible ways to reform the out-of-state voting system.
Of course, not everyone will ever agree on the best way to reform America's voting system. When asked what he thought about changing to a straight popular vote, Nasra replied, "What's worse? Low voter turnout, or Al Gore in office?"
