College Voting

Jonah Goldberg is criticizing the concerns some people have about impeding the access of college students to polling places.

While I can understand the concerns of Nick Confessore I really do have to side with Jonah on this one. Most college students could give a rat's ass about the town they are goign to school in. In fact, its probably safe to say that the number of college kids voting in any election outside of the presidential election is paltry, so it may not be a concern.

Still, I have to wonder if Rolling Stone is not feigning their outrage. I have voted in everyplace I have lived (except London where I wasn't a British Citizen - though I did vote in a number of local Pub related events). I never had a problem, but then I always went about the process in the proper way - by integrating myself into the local community ie: opening a local checking account, changing my drivers license registration, joining the local political party, and registering my car, paying state income taxes, etc.

After undertaking these actions no one ever questioned my right to participate in local government affairs - whether in New Jersey, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Vermont, or Virginia.

As far as I was concerned, once I was 18 I was my own person and rather enjoyed having a seperate domicile from my parents. Voting was only part of it. While its true that my parents helped me out (significantly) in paying for college, I also was pretty darn adamant about supporting myself as much as possible (In college I worked in a bookstore, for the college newspaper, and in the schools computer labs. In law school I did consulting on the side and worked at a local brewery on the weekends) Of course, I doubt the average college kid these days is willing to become part of the community.