I just don't get this point at all; most voters choose "down ballot
races - state legislature, boards of education, city councils" on the
basis of partisan affiliation, and debates on the listserve would be
better if this was recognized as more than something to be bemoaned.

----- Original Message -----
From: Larry Levine <larrylevine@earthlink.net>
Date: Thursday, December 22, 2005 12:55 pm
Subject: Re: Judge says legislature, not courts can enact same-day
registration

I do not take your position as an attack. It is well reasoned and 
reflects what clearly was a positive experience, although I'm not 
sure the Bush campaign would call it positive. However, it once 
again focuses on a high-profile Presidential level campaign where 
there was extensive reportage and much TV advertising. (Some would 
question the voter education value of TV spots.) The point I keep 
raising is the impact on down ballot races - state legislature, 
boards of education, city councils. In those campaigns, 
particularly in expensive urban media markets. I don't believe 
marginal and sporadic increases in voter participation is worth the 
added expense and greater inefficiencies that same day registration 
would impose on those campaigns. 
Larry Levine


----- Original Message ----- 
 From: DemEsqNYC@aol.com 
 To: larrylevine@earthlink.net ; election-law@majordomo.lls.edu 
 Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 8:25 PM
 Subject: Re: Judge says legislature, not courts can enact same-
day registration


 In a message dated 12/21/2005 8:55:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
larrylevine@earthlink.net writes:
   3. Why should we presume that the massive mobility of the 
American public accelerates in the days and weeks before an 
election? Asking those who want to vote to register to do so hasn't 
been a problem for scores of years. Isn't the notion of same day 
reigstration just another feel-good "reform" that won't accomplish 
the stated purpose?
   4. No theory of democracy suggests that only the most educated 
(or organized) should vote. But does that mean we should take steps 
to allow people to vote who show no inclination to participate in 
the process until the last minute? Doesn't this open the door for 
greater success by campaigns who resort to demagoguery and/or wedge 
issues to stampeed the uninformed at the last minute? Is that 
something we want to encourage for the simple purpose of showing 
some slight increases in voter participation?
 Same day registration is a topic near and dear to my heart.  It 
wasn't even on my radar screen until election day 2004, when I 
spent the day working the New Hampshire polls for the Kerry 
campaign.  In my little ward (Nashua 6) we started the day with 
something like 1,500 registered voters and finished the day with 
something like 2,200 registered voters (numbers inexact, doing this 
from memory).  

 To say that registration "hasn't been a problem for a score of 
years" is to ignore the continual decline in the percentage of 
eligible voters who register and vote.  It IS a problem.  Anything 
that unnecessarily impedes participation in our democracy is, by 
definition, a problem.  The GOAL of democracy is and should be full 
participation.  That, in and of itself, would lead to greater 
efforts by all sides at voter education.  Today, we know who is 
likely to come out and vote, candidates market to "their base."  
Broader opportunities at last minute registration would require 
candidates to reach out more broadly, to broadcast, rather than 
narrow cast, if you will.

 "But does that mean we should take steps to allow people to vote 
who show no inclination to participate in the process until the 
last minute?"

 Yes, of course we should.  The fact that not all voters are 
interested enough to spend their nights reading the posts to this 
board, or reading the New Republic or the Wall Street Journal or 
listening to one side or the other makes them no less citizens, not 
less affected by the election and no less important to the process. 
One man one vote does not mean "one man we deem worth having vote" 
in means all.  And if they are interested enough to come out to 
vote, then more power to them.

 "Doesn't this open the door for greater success by campaigns who 
resort to demagoguery and/or wedge issues to stampeed the 
uninformed at the last minute?"

 How would this differ from the campaigns we have now?  The only 
difference would be the fight to bring out unregistered voters, 
rather than just to increase the number of already registered voters.

 I have watched same day registration in action.  It worked.  At 
the risk of sounding sappy, it was a truly beautiful thing to see, 
it made me feel good about our system in a way I hadn't in years.  
I saw hundreds of people who truly cared and wanted their vote to 
count and, because of same day registration, could do so.  These 
were not ignorant sheep being led to the polls by a manipulative 
shepherd, they were concerned interested citizens, doing their tiny 
part for democracy by showing up, registering and voting.

 Mr Levine, please do not take this as an attack, it is not meant 
that way.  This is simply a topic I am passionate about.  It is not 
theoretical or academic to me.  I know this is a good thing for our 
country, for our democracy, because I watched it work.

 Howard Leib