Vote Tomorrow on New GI Bill

Approximately three-quarters of the men and women serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan are under 30 years of age, part of the Millennial Generation we highlight here on this blog so often.

They're also part of that same generation that's having a devil of a time making ends meet, not least due to the rising cost of college and increasing burden of student loans.

So I wanted to give you all the heads up that tomorrow, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a bill that would expand the G.I. Bill for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The bill has broad support. In the Senate, the effort to expand the GI Bill is led by Jim Webb (D-VA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE), both veterans; in Congress, nearly 300 members have expressed support for the bill.

From Bob Herbert's column in the issue:

Reinvigorating the GI bill is one of the best things this nation could do. The original GI Bill of Rights, signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, paid the full load of a returning veteran's education at a college or technical school and provided a monthly stipend. It was an investment that paid astounding dividends. Millions of veterans benefited, and they helped transform the nation. College would no longer be the exclusive preserve of the wealthy and those who crowned themselves the intellectual elite.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

If you'd like to contact your member of Congress before tomorrow's vote, you can find them and their contact information here.

Rocking the Hoosier-Heel Primary

Nice - all you out there in Indiana and North Carolina rocked the primaries again yesterday, making up significant portions of the electorate in both states.

Young voters' continued surge at the polls even impressed the most skeptical political reporters - for example, in today's Washington Post column "The Hoosier-Heel Primary: Winners and Losers," young voters are listed as one of yesterday's big winners:

Young Voters: No age group has been more ridiculed for their lack of participation than those under 30. But in Indiana that age group comprised 16* percent of the overall vote while those 65 or older comprised 15 percent...

You're making our generation a huge story this election year. From Monday's USA Today cover story "Young Voters Poised to Flex Electoral Muscle" to an article entitled "Young Voters Hold the Key" in the Nation today, we're making our mark on the 2008 elections.

West Virginia, Oregon and Kentucky - you're next!

*Updated to 17% last night. w00t!

Good Move for Voting Rights

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you'd like to vote in an upcoming election, but when you try and register you find out the registration deadline has passed?

There are eight states where this doesn't happen - these states allow eligible citizens to register right at the polls on Election Day. (called Election Day Registration or EDR)

These states have some of the highest rates of voter participation, including among young voters. In 2004, turnout in EDR states was 74%, compared to 60% in non-EDR states.

Wouldn't it be nice if all states were like this?

Later this week, Senators Russ Feingold (WI) and Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Congressman Keith Ellison (MN) are introducing the Election Day Registration Act, a bill that would make EDR a reality in all states.

From Senator Feingold's press release on the bill:

“The right to vote is at the heart of our democracy, and we should constantly be looking for ways to make it easier for Americans to exercise that right,” Feingold said. “Election Day registration has worked well in Wisconsin for more than 30 years and is a major reason why Wisconsin is a national leader in voter turnout. By allowing people to register in person on Election Day, we can bring more people into the process, which only strengthens our democracy."

Following the Supreme Court's shameful decision to uphold Indiana's strictest-in-the-nation voter ID law, this is good news for voting rights. We'll keep an eye on it as it progresses.

For more information on EDR and to find out what the rules are in your state, check out Demos, Progressive States Network, or info from electionline.org

Entries Are Rolling In

Already, reports are rolling in from people who have entered to win the Rock the Trail contest. We're looking for fresh perspectives on this year's election, on the issues that matter, and what's inspiring young voters to go to the polls.

Already, we're seeing frank images from journalists like Brittny Nielsen:


We're reading inspiring words from reporters like Archana Prasanna:

“My vision for the United States in 2015 is an optimistic one. Firstly, I envision a world it will be far more environmentally friendly... My hope is that universal health care will be implemented in the near future... The United States has gained a bad reputation among various countries around the world. We are misunderstood since our actions don't always correlate with our principles. I anticipate that in 2015, America will be looked at differently."

And in true Rock the Vote form, we're listening to the songs that are inspiring voter action, like this recommendation from Saum Eskanadi:

You could call political action the ultimate act of self-confidence. Whether that be a group or an individual, there is a moment, where we are so sure that we have no choice but to make ourselves heard. The trick is knowing that you CAN. You can do anything.

I owe my renewed faith in my ability to express my ideas to Kate Nash's song "Merry Happy." Leave it to the sassy British girl to teach the gay American boy how to speak out.

Do you have something to say this year? Apply now to be a Rock the Trail Reporter at www.rockthevote.com/rockthetrail. We'll continue to post the best of our early submissions, so don't wait. Deadline is May 7 at 11:59 PM.

Supremely Wrong

Unfortunately, democracy took a blow today when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Indiana's strictest-in-the-nation voter ID law. See Rock the Vote's statement below:

Supreme Court Photo ID Ruling a Blow to American Democracy

Voting Rights of Young Adults, Low-Income, Minority Voters, Elderly at Risk

April 28, 2008 - Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Indiana’s strict photo identification requirement for voters does not violate the constitutional right to vote. The ruling, upholding a decision by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, immediately impacts only Indiana voters but could have far-reaching effects should other states move forward to enact similar laws.

Rock the Vote condemns today’s ruling, which will disenfranchise young, low-income, minority and elderly voters in Indiana, and presents additional barriers to the fundamental right to vote.

“In a year when young adults are turning out to vote in record numbers, it’s shameful to see the Court issue a ruling that can only dampen this surge in political participation,” said Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote. “Thankfully, this ruling only directly impacts one state: Indiana,” continued Smith. “We hope that other states will avoid playing politics with the right to vote and recognize that laws like the one in Indiana do significant harm to our democracy.”

In Rock the Vote’s most recent poll of 18-29 year olds, 19 percent reported that they did not have a government-issued photo ID with their current address, indicating that as many as one in five young adults could be disenfranchised by a restrictive law such as the one in Indiana or variations on ID laws in other states. Young adults, who move frequently and/or are likely to be in college, tend to be among those most adversely affected by laws requiring state-issued photo identification. Other demographics affected adversely by this law include senior citizens, low-income adults, and minority voters.

The Supreme Court’s decision, available at http://www.supremecourtus.gov, reveals troubling thinking behind this ruling:

1) The Court admits in its ruling that the reasoning behind imposing this strict law – the desire to prevent voter fraud – was inapplicable in Indiana. In its ruling, the Court stated “the record contains no evidence that the fraud…in-person voter impersonation at polling places – has actually occurred in Indiana…” (page 2, emphasis added)

2) The Court also downgrades the constitutional right to vote. Justice Scalia, joined by Justices Thomas and Alito, stated “petitioners’ premise that the voter-identification law might have imposed a special burden on some voters is irrelevant.” (page 3, emphasis added)

3) Finally, the Court states that the burden of obtaining this identification is not “a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting” (page 3), reiterating the sentiment behind the Seventh Circuit’s shocking statement that voters who do not obtain the required identification are choosing to “disenfranchise themselves” rather than go to “the expense of obtaining a photo ID.”

Rock the Vote condemns today’s ruling and encourages other states not to follow Indiana’s lead, but to instead support the participation of young voters in 2008 and beyond by ensuring citizens’ rights to vote are priority number one in our electoral system.

Rock the Vote signed onto a brief amicus curiae in support of the petitioners in this case, along with other youth groups including the Student Association for Voter Empowerment and the National Black Law Students Association. Throughout 2008, Rock the Vote will be providing information on voter registration and voting to young Americans as part of our work to register two million 18-29 year olds to vote and increase young voter turnout for the third election in a row. In addition, we will be keeping a close eye on voting rights to ensure no eligible American is denied the right to vote.