One year ago today, the United States was on the cusp of the most drawn-out election season in its history. A two-month media frenzy surrounding hanging chads, ballot recounts, and court decisions - ending in a "misfire" presidential election - had just begun. When the smoke cleared, George W. Bush emerged as President, and the American people elected overwhelmingly to ignore politics altogether.
Given last year's media whirlwind, and given the events of Sept. 11, the 2001 elections will be unlikely to draw much attention - neither in Massachusetts nor nationally.
Nevertheless, Tufts students have begun annual voter registration efforts, tabling around campus on Monday and Tuesday. Registration tables, where students can get a Massachusetts registration form or a postcard listing websites for out-of-state registration, were manned in Carmichael, Dewick, and at the Meyer Campus Center.
The real problem, says registration coordinator and senior Natalie McCabe, is that students generally aren't interested in the political process, especially when the most exciting race in Medford and Somerville are annual town elections. But she thinks even the small elections can matter to Tufts students.
If enough students register, McCabe says, student influence in local matters can be significantly strengthened. "It's a way for a school like ours to make a dent in city policy," she said.
The point is not irrelevant. While students might not think local politics affect their sheltered lives at Tufts, items like rent control and property taxes could end up making a difference when searching for off-campus housing. The amount of taxes Tufts pays Medford and Somerville concerns students, too - if taxes are raised for Tufts, the University will pass the tax burden to its students in the form of increased costs.
But Tufts' student population is still far from exerting its latent political power, with most students not bothering to vote at all, even in big election years. Others that vote remain active in their out-of-state home districts, which McCabe doesn't advocate.
"Our strategy is definitely to get students to register locally," McCabe said, citing the desire for students to become a larger factor in the design of local legislation. McCabe also believes it's easier for students to register in Massachusetts, since the table workers are able to provide the registration forms immediately, and students don't need to worry about requesting an absentee ballot every year.
It's not that easy, though. A move from downhill to uphill between freshman and sophomore years essentially changes a student's residence [for polling purposes] from Somerville to Medford. In this situation, the student would either need to reregister with the updated campus address or request an absentee ballot from their original district.
If this isn't confusing enough, those registered in their hometown need to request an absentee ballot every year in order to vote. And although McCabe believes some states may automatically send ballots to students whose address they have on file, she says that they may never be delivered unless the voter lives at the same address from year to year.
The process is enough to make most students give up. And sophomore Adam Blickstein, communications director for the Tufts Democrats, a sponsor of the registration effort, isn't very optimistic.
"2001 is not even midterm elections," he said. "We're not expecting a large turnout."
Freshman table worker and Tufts Democrat Rachel Hereford wasn't hopeful, either. "People aren't interested," she said.
However, McCabe knows that the student body is able to become more politically active - they just need some inspiration. She recalled talking with a woman who had worked for the Somerville elections department for quite some time. The woman told McCabe that about a decade ago, Tufts students were registered locally in large numbers. She hasn't seen anything like it recently, McCabe said.
According to president emeritus John DiBiaggio, founder of Tufts' University College of Citizenship and Public Service (UCCPS), today's college students are overwhelmingly indifferent to the political system. In a speech entitled "Democracy in Education" he will deliver tomorrow at Cedar Crest College, DiBiaggio will report that only seven percent of college students were involved in a political campaign last year, with 16 percent becoming involved with a student government or political organization during their college career.
But McCabe believes an impetus for political action is again present. Legislation and policies are being formed throughout every level of government, from local councils to Capitol Hill, in response to calls for tighter security and extended power to law enforcement agencies in the wake of last month's terrorist attacks. McCabe hopes a heightened national awareness of the political system will result in higher voter turnout - even if it's just for local government.
"We're trying to play on [the aftermath of the attacks] to get people involved," McCabe said, adding that some students were drawn to the display of US flags at the registration tables.
Hereford agreed. "[Vote] if you care really passionately about what the government is doing or not doing," she told students at Carmichael.
McCabe is hopeful that voter registration on campus will reach a "stabilization," or a consistent turnout each year. "We might not see a huge drop in the number of voters this year," she said.
The current voter registration effort garnered more sponsors than it has in the past, with the Tufts Democrats and Tufts Republicans joining together with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Youth Vote, and the Friends of Israel.
