2008 Woodie Awards
Bill would end student voting in local elections
Ben Herbst
Issue date: 2/9/07 Section: News & Features
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If passed, a recent bill introduced in the Maine State Legislature would disallow out-of-state students to vote using their college mailing address. Rep. Gary Knight '66 (R-Livermore Falls) proposed the bill, LD 203, in early January and its fate was to be determined in committee after press time.
The bill, "An Act Concerning Student Voter Registration," would amend Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §112, sub-§7 of the Maine State Constitution. If enacted, the text, "This subsection may not be construed to prevent a student at any institution of learning from qualifying in the municipality where the student resides while attending the institution," would be changed to read: "A student is not a resident of a municipality where the student resides if the student lives in housing owned by an institution of learning while attending the institution unless the student lived in that municipality prior to attending the institution."
The bill conjured a strong response among the Colby Democrats, and also gained attention from local media. Knight was surprised by the reaction, having never intended the legislation as a political or partisan effort. "This is not a political agenda at all," he said in a recent interview with the Echo.
"The effect of LD 203 is that it would kick off thousands of young voters across Maine," Colby Democrats President and Waterville City Councilor Henry Beck '09 said. Beck and co-President Chris Appel '08J have rallied campus opposition to the bill, and Beck recently debated Knight on Maine Public Radio.
Beck said that the bill would have deleterious effects on campus efforts to integrate the College with Waterville. "The bill would undo so much progress." In response, Knight said that this is not true at all, and he would encourage students to participate (volunteer for campaigns or facilitate others' voting) in the political process wherever they choose; however, they should vote via absentee ballot wherever their permanment address is. "This isn't aimed at Colby, this isn't aimed at the students of Colby either. It's not aimed at anybody; I believe the process of absentee ballot was put in place for a reason."
The bill, "An Act Concerning Student Voter Registration," would amend Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §112, sub-§7 of the Maine State Constitution. If enacted, the text, "This subsection may not be construed to prevent a student at any institution of learning from qualifying in the municipality where the student resides while attending the institution," would be changed to read: "A student is not a resident of a municipality where the student resides if the student lives in housing owned by an institution of learning while attending the institution unless the student lived in that municipality prior to attending the institution."
The bill conjured a strong response among the Colby Democrats, and also gained attention from local media. Knight was surprised by the reaction, having never intended the legislation as a political or partisan effort. "This is not a political agenda at all," he said in a recent interview with the Echo.
"The effect of LD 203 is that it would kick off thousands of young voters across Maine," Colby Democrats President and Waterville City Councilor Henry Beck '09 said. Beck and co-President Chris Appel '08J have rallied campus opposition to the bill, and Beck recently debated Knight on Maine Public Radio.
Beck said that the bill would have deleterious effects on campus efforts to integrate the College with Waterville. "The bill would undo so much progress." In response, Knight said that this is not true at all, and he would encourage students to participate (volunteer for campaigns or facilitate others' voting) in the political process wherever they choose; however, they should vote via absentee ballot wherever their permanment address is. "This isn't aimed at Colby, this isn't aimed at the students of Colby either. It's not aimed at anybody; I believe the process of absentee ballot was put in place for a reason."
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