More student vote suppression

[robin]

http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=9075310&nav=S6aK

The registrar in Radford, VA is challenging registrants with a dorm address. The VA guidelines (http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Voter_Information/Registering_to_Vote/Index.html) state: "To be eligible to register to vote in Virginia a person must: Be a resident of Virginia (A person who has come to Virginia for temporary purposes and intends to return to another state is not considered a resident for voting purposes)"

I'm curious what "proof" they require that you intend to stay put?

[TheIndependent]

My college (in Georgia) did that to prevent people from claiming in-state tuition rates...

[Turtleboy]

I went to college in Boston, and voted Absentee in Florida. I never considered myself a Masschussets resident when I was living in the dorm.

[robin]

I became a resident of VA as an undergrad here (although admittedly not while living in a dorm.) I'm just curious what the litmus test is.

[doom1701]

I went to college in Boston, and voted Absentee in Florida. I never considered myself a Masschussets resident when I was living in the dorm.

I did that as well (ok, I was in school in MI, and I voted absentee in IL). The school even had an information desk at the library where you could go to look up info on how to get an absentee ballot for wherever you were from.

There is obviously a larger number of young (and new) voter registrations for this election than usual. It makes sense to me to question the validity of those registrations in situations where you know that a large percentage of the registrants are NOT actually legal residents of that area.

[Turtleboy]

I know people at my college who registered to vote locally. And were promptly chosen for jury duty.

[robin]

I know people at my college who registered to vote locally. And were promptly chosen for jury duty.

Which means it's even more logical to register to vote where you live 9+ months out of the year. (I went back to MD the summer after my freshman year, but have lived in VA continuously since I was 19.)

I got called to jury duty in my parents' county while I was a student and obviously couldn't serve. Had I been called where I actually lived then I could have done my civic duty.

[AJRitz]

When I lived and attended college in Lawrence, KS, I registered to vote in Lawrence rather than back "home" in Overland Park. My rationale was simple - I had no particular plan to move any other particular place (and, indeed, when I ultimately left Lawrence, I headed to St. Louis, MO - not "home"). At the time I changed my voter registration, I was living in Lawrence year-round. But even before that, I was living in Lawrence nine months out of the year, and the politics/laws of of Lawrence, KS had a much greater impact on me than those of Overland Park, KS.

To me, it makes no sense to remain registered to vote in a place in which you reside at most three months/year.

[bigpuma]

When I went to college I registered and voted where I was living at school. I don't understand why you wouldn't do that. You live there 75% of the year.

[Turtleboy]

When I went to college I registered and voted where I was living at school. I don't understand why you wouldn't do that. You live there 75% of the year.

Because I never considered myself a permanant resident there. I didn't consider myself domicled there. I knew that my residency, both in the dorms, and the two years I lived off campus was only temporary.

I kept my car registered in Florida too (which was a pain).

Then after Brandeis I moved to DC to go to law school. I didn't register to vote in DC, and I still kept my car registered in Florida. Why? I still considered myself domicled in Florida, even though I hadn't lived there in 7 years at that point. I probably was wrong in retrospect.

After I graduated law school, I got a job in DC. I then registered to vote and my car in DC, because I knew I was staying there.