Sept. 23, 1999
By
Todd Ruger
CyberCaucus 2000 News Service
Drake
University
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Republican presidential straw poll fundraiser in Ames brought in more than 24,000 votes, more than 650 media with credentials and raised just over $1 million.
Iowa Secretary of State Chester Culver's office held its own presidential straw poll during the Iowa state fair. The poll received 6,687 votes, no large media coverage and raised no money.
However, the office did register or re-register 600 Iowan voters.
As the only state government official charged with encouraging voter registration and participation, Culver and his staff have continued to pursue unregistered voters in the wake of the Ames straw poll excitement through activities such as the state fair poll, and this year they are starting a new campaign targeted at raising voting rates of 18- to 24-year-olds.
The new campaign, Iowa Student Political Awareness Club, is a club that students in sixth to 12th grade can join to encourage them to take an active interest in politics and register to vote when they are able. Part of ISPAC's plans include a pledge from Culver to visit schools in all 99 Iowa counties starting this October to promote both the ISPAC and the upcoming Iowa caucuses, as well as set up programs in each of the schools.
ISPAC was inspired by the low voter participation rates in the 18- to 24-year-old range and a change in both federal and state laws regarding opportunities for students to register to vote.
Donn Stanley, deputy secretary of state, said that in the 1998 Iowa elections, the 15 percent of the 18- to 24-year-old age group that voted was the worst voter participation of any age group in the election, and that less than 10 percent of voters in the 18- to 19-year-old age group participated.
This low voter turnout led to an amendment in the federal Higher Education Amendments of 1998, which stated that all postsecondary schools that receive state funding, including colleges, universities and trade and technical schools, will offer the opportunity to register to vote to each student at least once a year.
Iowa adopted a similar law specifying that both federal and Iowa voter registration forms be made available in case university students want to register to vote in their home state.
While the program is aimed mostly at high-school students, programs on college campuses have been started as well. Students can join ISPAC through the secretary of state's website at www.sos.state.ia.us or by calling 1-888-SOS-VOTE.
Stanley said there is a constant campaign to encourage the registration and re-registration of all voting-age Iowans, and that about 400,000 qualified Iowans are currently not registered. Burlene Baker, director of the Voter Registration Commission, said more people registered to vote during October of even-numbered years or major election years. So far this year, 21,278 Iowans have registered; however, last year 63,378 registered and during the last presidential election year, 1996, 119,270 registered.
Representatives of both the Republican and Democratic parties of Iowa said they currently had no special voter registration projects, but they provide voter registration forms at most of their events even though most attendees are already active in politics and registered to vote. Both parties said they will start campaigns before the end of the year.
Mike Shaw, campaign manager for Republican presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole, said he tries to pound the register-to-vote message, usually by letting interested people know they may both register to vote and then participate at the upcoming caucuses. "I like to tell them just how easy it is to make history in 30 minutes," Shaw said, “and not to be scared of the process."
Voter registration may be a key issue for the Dole campaign as the caucuses draw near. "It's clear that she draws in a lot of new people not only because she is a woman but because of her issues," said Ann Dougherty, communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa.
Shaw said he believes the straw poll in Ames demonstrated Dole's appeal. "A lot of people showed up for her that weren't active," Shaw said. "She clearly attracts new voters and people that weren't really involved in the Republican Party."
"The big hurdle is getting them to go [to the caucuses]," Shaw said.
Iowa Caucus Project 2000, a project that informs non-Iowa residents of the political makeup of the state, said that 89 percent of Iowa's voting-age population, or about 1.9 million Iowans, is registered to vote.
Iowans wishing to register to vote must be 17 and a half years of age, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Iowa. They may not have been convicted a felony without having their rights restored, been judged as mentally incompetent by a court or given up the right to vote in any other place.
Those already registered need to re-register if they have changed addresses. Iowans may register or re-register in these ways:
They may pick up forms and mail them to their county auditor's office. Forms are available at public libraries, in telephone directories, in tax booklets during even-numbered years, downloadable from the secretary of state's website at www.sos.state.ia.us or sent by calling 1-888-SOS-VOTE. To vote for primary and general elections registration forms must be received more than 10 days prior to the election or postmarked 15 days before the election.