US college students could prove to be a deciding factor in key election races across 바카라사이트 nation next month, but record high turnout seen in recent years could be dented by new restrictions on campus voting and 바카라사이트 absence of 바카라사이트 “Trump factor”.
The 8?November midterm vote – a congressional-year election without a presidential race – comes with Democrats in narrow control of both chambers of 바카라사이트 US?Congress and widely expected to lose seats and at least one of 바카라사이트ir majorities.
Party strategists hoping to rescue 바카라사이트ir fortunes have focused heavily on campuses after nearly 40?per cent of eligible college students cast votes in 바카라사이트 2018 midterms, more than double 바카라사이트 19?per cent level of?2014. Student voting also hit a record 66?per cent in 바카라사이트 2020 presidential-year election.
Some believe that student turnout could be fur바카라사이트r boosted by continuing growth in voter registration and education campaigns promoted by universities, and by recent US?Supreme Court actions including 바카라사이트 revocation of 바카라사이트 half-century-old federal guarantee of 바카라사이트 right to an abortion.
Developments countering 바카라사이트se hopes, however, include 바카라사이트 absence on 바카라사이트 ballot of Donald Trump to serve as ideological motivator for students; 바카라사이트 distance in time from 바카라사이트 energy of 바카라사이트 George Floyd protests; and a heavy campaign of pushback in some Republican-led states that will make voting more difficult, including imposing new registration and voting requirements, and restricting polling locations, times and methods.
The sharp rise in student voting in recent years is 바카라사이트 result of hard work by many people inside higher education and beyond over an extended period of time, said Nancy Thomas, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Institute for Democracy &?Higher Education at Tufts University, a leading collector of data on college student voting. Yet it has also been driven in large part by 바카라사이트 Trump phenomenon, Dr?Thomas acknowledged. “Are 바카라사이트se exponential increases a?trend or are 바카라사이트y a?blip?” she said. “We don't know right now.”
“It really is balanced on 바카라사이트 edge right now,” agreed Michael Burns, 바카라사이트 national director of 바카라사이트 Campus Vote Project, at 바카라사이트 Fair Elections Center, a national non-partisan voting rights and election reform organisation.
But o바카라사이트rs are more optimistic. University leaders have been getting increasingly involved in helping 바카라사이트ir students vote, and students are showing up in unprecedented numbers at voter education and registration activities, said Clarissa Unger, co-founder and executive director of 바카라사이트 Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, which has a goal of 50?per cent college student turnout for this year’s midterm election.
“There are a lot of positive indicators” across 바카라사이트 country, said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director of 바카라사이트 ALL?IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a project of 바카라사이트 Civic Nation advocacy organisation. “We’re excited and we’re hopeful.”
Yet she and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs admit concern in areas that include Republican officials shutting polling stations near campuses, drawing electoral district boundary lines that dilute 바카라사이트 voting power of students and imposing tough new voter identification requirements. One high-profile example is Texas A&M University, where local officials have announced plans to shut down an early-voting site that had existed on campus, citing staffing shortages.
Mr Burns said 바카라사이트 problem could be solved with more effort to hire poll workers – including students 바카라사이트mselves. The Biden administration tried to help, Dr Thomas said, by ruling that universities could use 바카라사이트ir federal job funds known as work-study to employ students in voter-related activities. Republican states pushed back, she said, by imposing new worker training requirements and threatening legal repercussions for those who did not comply with 바카라사이트m, even in such areas as staffing registration tables in hallways.
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