Students encouraged to register for November vote

May 12, 2008 08:29 pm

— By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
First-time voters who are studying their presidential options can get a jump on another pre-election chore: registering to vote.
People who will be 18 by the Nov. 4 election may register any time after they turn 17 1/2 years old, according to election officials.
The law has been in effect for years but hasn’t gotten much attention, said Bonnie Earl, Jasper County clerk.
During the presidential preference primary in February, she said, one man who turned 18 that day went to the polls and wanted to vote.
“He couldn’t because he wasn’t registered, and he was really disappointed,” she said. “So I wanted to remind young people, if they want to vote and they’ll be 18 by the election, they have six months to get registered.”
Kay Baum, Newton County clerk, said students in Newton County can register at high schools.
“We have registrars in each high school, so all they have to do is check with the office,” she said. “I’ve heard of teachers who will give students extra credit for getting registered.”
No students at Neosho High School have requested registration forms so far this year, an office worker said last week.
Though they are following the campaigns and plan to vote in November, Joplin High School seniors Lindsey Hamm, Kelsey Knewtson and Jonathan Englebert said they did not know they could register to vote before they turned 18.
Hamm, who is 18, said she’s already registered. Knewtson, also 18, and Englebert, 17, said they will be registered by Election Day.
“I would have already, but I didn’t know you could at 17 1/2,” Knewtson said.
Targeting youths
The three, all members of the Constitution Team for JHS, said the candidates and their campaigns seem to be targeting younger voters through the use of the Internet, YouTube and Facebook. They said they use the Internet, television and other sources to keep up with the campaigns.
Hamm said she watches as many news reports as possible and tries “to sit down at least once or twice a week and review the issues and the political stances of each candidate.”
“The election issues that concern me are the Iraq war, the economy, health care and the environment,” Hamm said.
“My support right now is for Barack Obama,” she said. “He seems to have a lot of fresh ideas and a new voice, which appeals to me a lot.”
Knewtson said she will support John McCain because she agrees with his positions “on the big issues,” including the war in Iraq and immigration.
“I know the Democrats are looking to pull out of Iraq as soon as possible, and I don’t think that’s the best option,” Knewtson said.
Englebert said concerns about the economy and what condition it will be in when he finishes college are helping to shape his vote.
“I’m for Hillary Clinton because I believe her health-care plan is the least abusable,” Englebert said. “I believe she has the most feasible exit strategy for Iraq, and I believe her plan for the economy is the one that will best benefit me when I enter the post-college world. Also, my brother-in-law was deployed to Iraq, and I’d prefer to keep him home. That’s important, too.”

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