In the October 21 issue of the Orient, the Bowdoin community was asked to respond to the question, "Should out-of-state students register to vote in Maine instead of their home state?" The following replies were submitted.
Tom Charpentier '10
When I first got to Bowdoin I was somewhat surprised to learn that I could vote in Maine as an alternative to voting in my home state. That January, a bill came up in the state legislature that would revoke my newfound right.
I'm not the most politically active member of campus, but I felt strongly about this issue and turned out to be the only Bowdoin student to go to Augusta and testify against the bill (which ultimately failed) in a legislative committee.
Whether you vote in Maine or not is your choice, but I can tell you why you should be allowed to vote here.
One of the main arguments against allowing college students to vote here is that we are a transient group. We're only here for four years and then we head somewhere else, leaving behind the consequences of our vote in Maine. It's a good argument, however, that same logic could be used to argue against allowing you to vote in your hometown as well. I would venture to say most of us will not be returning to the same hometown, and certainly not the same address, for any appreciable length of time after graduation. Even when we strike out on our own, we'll probably move around a bit before we settle down. Do we need to sign contracts agreeing to stay put for a few years before we are allowed to vote?
Even if we do not pay taxes directly to the community (the taxation argument is illegal anyway, since it essentially amounts to a poll tax), we are a huge part of the state and local economy, and as such we have the right to have our interests fairly represented in elected government.
The bottom line is this: You should think long and hard about what you're voting for in whatever election you decide to vote in. Know every race or issue on the ballot you plan to vote for, and if you don't know enough to make an informed decision about voting for an issue or candidate, then leave it blank.
Educated voting is a fundamental duty of every citizen in a republic, but uninformed voting is irresponsible and harmful.
Whether you choose to vote in Brunswick or in your hometown, remember that you are an educated and freethinking adult. Make sure your intelligence is reflected in your ballot.
Mike Wolovick '09
If you are a Maine purist, you may think it is unfair for out-of-state students to vote in Maine's election. You may feel it is somehow inauthentic, that those carpetbagging outsiders are taking advantage of this state's lenient election laws and insulting good, ordinary Mainers. However, as an out-of-state student who has already voted in Maine, I ask you to look at things from my perspective. Thanks to America's outdated Electoral College system, people who live in either solid blue or solid red states have essentially no vote in the presidential election.
I come from New York, whose 31 electoral votes are guaranteed to go to Barack Obama this year. That means that, were I to vote in my home state, my vote would be essentially meaningless (especially since neither of New York's senators are up for reelection this year). By voting here in Maine, a state that has both the potential to be a swing state and an active senatorial campaign, I am giving myself a voice in American democracy. If I were to vote in New York this year my voice would be effectively silenced.
Hillary Hooke '09
I am from Maine, and I have voted by absentee ballot twice since coming to Bowdoin. I care deeply about the issues affecting the community I grew up in, a community that is still my home, despite an ever-growing affection and appreciation for Brunswick and its surrounding towns, and that is why I will not register to vote here. Because however much I enjoy living in Brunswick now, I know that I do not have the same investment in and knowledge of this area as those have lived here for many years.
My home is only two hours to the northwest of this campus, in another small, rural town, but the issues and problems concerning my family and neighbors are unique and important, just as they are in Brunswick. When I vote at home, I feel like I am voting with a clean conscience, because I am informed and therefore prepared to deal with the consequences of my decision.
I encourage everyone to vote (I don't think anyone at Bowdoin needs to be told how crucial this coming election is), but if you are a student from out of state, why not vote in your hometown by absentee ballot?
I personally would not want to become disenfranchised in the place I consider home, the place where my family must continue their daily lives in my absence, only so I could vote in a community I may not be a part of for more than four years. And anyone who votes in Brunswick believing they will have little effect on the results of the local or state elections need look no further than last week's edition of the Orient to learn that the student voting bloc may prove the deciding factor for these elections.
So if you're time in Maine isn't going to extend beyond your time at Bowdoin, I think you should reconsider registering to vote here. Good or bad, you aren't going to be living with the consequences of your vote; you may not even have the same definition of "good" or "bad" as the people who will be dealing with the results of your decisions for years to come. Register where you know the issues, and they affect the people you care about most. I did.
Kaitlin Daley '09
I think that out-of-state students should consider voting in Maine because there is a greater likelihood that they will actually vote; student activity groups make it really easy to register and even provide transportation to the polls. But if convenience isn't a factor (a.k.a. you have no problem getting an absentee ballot and will actually send it in), then voting "in" your home state is great because you probably have stronger opinions about more local-level candidates and policy issues.