With a deadline to register for an absentee ballot by mail in New York that ended on Oct. 30, many students are now waiting to receive their ballots or preparing to cast their vote at local polling booths.

Absentee ballots can be an attractive option for students voting outside their home state, but the process presents certain hurdles that further deter student voting, said Robert McClure, professor of political science and public affairs.

“Registering is a cumbersome process,” McClure said. “Students are distracted and are usually not overly involved in politics, and absentee ballots are a direct instigator in compounding this disinterest.”

Deeanna Dimmick, a sophomore broadcast and digital journalism and music major from Seattle, registered to vote in New York instead because she felt her vote would have more of an effect. The ambiguity behind the value of votes casted through absentee ballots was also a deterrent, she said.

“Voting through an absentee ballot presents a lot of issues, because there’s always that chance they won’t be counted or it’ll get lost,” she said. “If you go to a polling location, I feel completely confident that my vote is counted.

Candidates are now making use of registration forms and absentee ballots that are available online, such as President Barack Obama’s Commit to Vote feature, available on the campaign website, which provides constituents with a downloadable absentee ballot tailored to their allotted voting district.

Using the internet as a medium to connect with voters is particularly successful with students, said Immad Khalid, a senior civil engineering major.

Filling out the paperwork was easy, Khalid said, but he was unsure if he needed to reregister for an absentee ballot, since he voted by absentee ballot in the 2008 election.

“College students tend to be lazy,” Khalid said. “Given an easier option than absentee ballots, students would be more propelled to vote.”

Though absentee ballots are simple to fill out and send in, many young students have less at stake in the election. Young people have not built up a voting track record and, as a result, are less connected, McClure said.

“Getting youth or, specifically, students away from home to vote has been proven unsuccessful time and time again,” he said. “Every year we see a gap in the number of youth voters and elderly voters. It is a fact.”

For Dimmick, her desire to vote stems from being exposed to voting at a young age. Going to the polls with her mother instilled the idea that voting was not an option, but a requirement, she said.

Dimmick described New York state as highly political and said she felt people were constantly reminded of the importance of voting in the area.

“Despite this, the voter turnout still remains low, which is unfortunate because voting is a privilege,” she said.

Matthew Turner, a senior finance major, almost didn’t vote due to the complexity of acquiring an absentee ballot.

He felt it was too confusing to register for an absentee ballot, but didn’t want to lose his opportunity to vote. Rather than go through the hassle of registering for an absentee ballot, he went to Onondaga’s Board of Elections office and registered there.

“We are all following the election, whether or not the issues directly affect us,” Turner said. “It doesn’t matter how you register, you still need to vote.”

Published on November 1, 2012 at 2:02 am

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