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Motor Voter Law Boosts Youth Registration

By Jonathan Karl/CNN

[Motor Voter]

ARLINGTON, Va. (March 27) -- The nation's new motor voter law could prove a boon for the youth vote. By the millions, people are registering to vote when they conduct business at their local motor vehicle department and many are from 18 to 21.

At the Alexandria, Va. motor vehicle department, people are taking advantage of the new law, and saving some time in the process.

"You gotta come down here to get your license and get your picture taken and all that, so you take care of two birds with one stone," one man said.

The Motor Voter law is turning into the biggest voter registration drive in history. Under the measure, you can also register at public agencies like welfare offices and through the mail.



[Charlotte Cleart]


Charlotte Cleary, General Registrar at the Alexandria office, showed how it works: "You fill it in -- the bottom part -- you make sure you sign it and date it, don't leave any blanks, you fold it, you take the sticky part off. You fold it over. You put a stamp here and you mail it in. It's that simple."

In Arlington, you can even pick up a registration form at bail bond offices. Registering to vote has never been easier.

[Mark Strama]

And the result? "The electorate is going to look different in 1996," says Becky Cain, president of the League of Women Voters. "It's going to be larger, it's going to be more diverse and it's going to be younger (96K AIFF or WAV sound)."

In just one year, 11 million Americans have registed to vote under motor vote. And a million more are registering every month. Experts say 40 percent of the new registered voters are under age 30, which could result in eight million new young voters by November. Registration of 18 to 21 year olds is expected to double.

[Rock The Vote]

Mark Strama of the youth vote group Rock The Vote predicted motor voter's impact will add punch to his group's efforts: "I think that eight million newly registered young people is gonna make a difference, and the fact that they'll be registered when the campaign heats up rather than having to have them preregisterd in advance, the fact that they'll be enfranchised by motor voter is going to make a difference in the way the candidates conduct the campaign (192K AIFF or WAV sound)."

One difference: Rock The Vote will be able to put less time and energy into registration and more work into getting them to the polls.

Virginia, like other states, initially resisted the motor voter law and did not begin complying until March 6. But already the state's voter registration roles are growing.

Republicans had feared the law would give an advantage to Democrats. So far, it appears they were wrong. In Florida, the state where motor voter has been most successful, more Republicans have been registered than Democrats, and Independents have been out-registering both parties.



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