I don't get the part where you ask if students should pay state taxes where they vote. If you have a job, you do have to pay taxes inthat state, and students obviously pay sales tax. What tax are they not paying?

This is disturbing, and I certainly hope that the clarifications reach as many students originally wrongly discouraged to register as possible.

This is going to sound waaaayyyyy partisan, but why don't we ever hear stories about people trying to suppress republicans from registering? I don't want to get yelled at, I was just wondering.

I was wondering the same thing, rac.

I feel it's a little fishy that those misleading warnings came during an Obama registration drive in a battleground state, but I'm going to try to hold myself back from becoming too suspicious until more information is known.

Wait, did I just not read the story closely enough? Why are students Democrats?

Ah! Obama-supporter registration drive. Got it.

I just meant that some may think voting (having a say in your community) cannot be separated from responsibilities like taxes, or a state drivers licensee. You're right though, vespa — something like taxes is connected to your work, not your voter registration.

Rac- That's because Democrats don't do it openly, they just slash the car tires the night before the election (2004, Milwaukee, WI.)

Disclaimer - although the above event actually took place, I do not believe it is indicative of the Democratic party.

Hey, Dave, where is that lighthouse?

where did it say it was democrat students

CG, the article states that the erroneous warnings were "issued during an Obama-supporter voter registration drive at Virginia Tech."

You'd imagine that Obama supporters registering to vote would be Democrats.

It just makes it sound as if the warnings were targeted at those students registering to vote Obama.

I agree Jude.

I read that the voter registration deadline for Virginia is 29 days before an election, so hopefully they'll be able to reissue some kind of "Oops we gave you misleading information" letter.

OMG -- and they fell for it.......

Seriously -- I know some people who never registered to vote because they don't want the government to know they exist (as if they couldn't figure that out). And apparently there are some ex-cons who think they can't vote because they were once convicted of a felony (??) -- As far as I know they can vote (depends on state).

"I know some people who never registered to vote because they don't want the government to know they exist (as if they couldn't figure that out)."

Dude, that kind of thinking frightens me. That's just a couple of steps away from "survivalist with guns hiding out in the forest."

I totally agree Jude!!!

I went to an out of state college at first and in an attempt to get in-state tuition I registered to vote in that state (among other tactics) and it didn't work, so they definately went too far.

holy crap this is despicable.

I hear about Democrats deploying similar tactics. I don't think those from either group who do these things are representative of the group as a whole.

And Dream, I'm glad those people don't vote! I don't want them making such an important decision.

"I'm glad those people don't vote! I don't want them making such an important decision."

Very true!

"And Dream, I'm glad those people don't vote! I don't want them making such an important decision."

Yeah, those people can't ever repay their debt to society.

I registered to vote at my school when I went away to college. My school encouraged registering.

This sounds like a form of disenfranchising to me.

You are technically supposed to register where you go to school because that's where you're counted in the census.

That's true lil. I remember being told that at Westfield State.

I cheated and stayed registered at home. I probably could have done more good registered at school. My home district was very Republican and the district where I went to school swayed back and forth a bit.

Students should not be forced to vote in their home elections while they live near school and are impacted by local decisions, such as police policy, neighborhood ordinances, or rent control.

So very true! Next week I am working on a voter registration drive. In part b/c of the upcoming Presidential election, but also in part b/c in the next State Senate race is very important. The incumbent has a inclination to raise tution by 10% every year, in my state we have a program called OHLAP that pays for full tution to any state school for in-state students that meet certain requirements upon high school graduation and he wants to cut OHLAP funding and not provide a permanent funding, and calls education the "black hole". So obviously as a student I don't really like him! lol
But this is the most striking part: the majority of his district consists of the campus dorms (freshmen) and apartments that house a lot of the upperclassmen! lol

Actually -- for those people who were accused of a crime that they didn't commit --- they should be able to vote.

I was talking about the people who think the government will know they exist if they register to vote.

LOL, lilkimbo! I actually had a friend who refused to vote because she thought that the government kept a record of your voting patterns and that the FBI would spy on you if you voted against the administration that was in power! Don't ask - I think her mom dropped her on her head as a baby or something!

"Dude, that kind of thinking frightens me. That's just a couple of steps away from "survivalist with guns hiding out in the forest."

Friends don't let friends write manifestos.

Sidenote: Is Diebold doing the voting machines again this year? I heard if you vote Obama, they emit electrical shocks.

(jk, night!)

lil- that's weird though, because I had to serve jury duty in the county my license was issued from. And apparently going to school full time five hours away wasn't a compelling reason not to serve on a jury...

I don't get this post though...obviously no one should be dissuaded from voting, but isn't the point that the VaTech students were misleading potential registrants, not that the law actually does any of these things? Like, you just got done saying this doesn't actually happen right? "Why should students have to chose between participating in democracy where they live and keeping a scholarship or health insurance?" I'm so confused now. Long day!

Lilk -- -- ok -- made me chuckle at the thought. There are actually people who can vote but for religious purposes don't. Those people annoy me.

I have a friend who's a jehovah's witness and they're not allowed to have anything to do with government. for example, he doesn't stand for the national anthem, say the pledge, vote and he says he doesn't support the troops. i think it's very interesting bc he does go to a public university and went to public schools.

okkk i go to virginia tech, and the controversy about the people asking us to register to vote in Montgomery county was that they didn't tell us that we had to change our drivers license and bank information to our college address... they just said we had to sign a paper. So the people were being misleading and leaving out a lot of information. Changing your drivers license would mean having to change car registration, car insurance, passport information, etc. which is a LOT of work when you have tests, quizess and homework due too! It does stink that college kids can't vote in the state we attend school (especially since im a democrat in VA) because legislation changes that affects us at school! there should be changes made about that!

wow - that's just harsh to not fully understand what's going on if you want to register to vote. i think that it's sometimes helpful to have sites like 'Declare yourself' to overrule any confusion. i'm glad that it's getting sorted out since there are a lot of students on campuses that want to get more involved and they WILL be our future so it makes sense for them to know waht will truly happen if/when they register away from 'home'

I don't understand why this is misinformation given to supress democrats only. What if there were independents there at that rally and after hearing Obama go on and on, they decided to go register to vote as republicans. It could have happened, we just don't know. And they would have gotten the same bad information. I'm just saying...

I suppose students who don't want to go through the paperwork could just register to vote at home and then vote absentee ballot.