MTV voter registrations not valid?

Raven_13 · Post by **Raven_13** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:41 am

Hi all, I'm not a political person but I had to post this here because it's driving me crazy. I can't find anything about this anywhere else, so I was wondering if anyone had heard about it or had it happen to them.

My girlfriend went to vote after work here in Wilmington, DE and told me that there was a young woman (college-age) in front of her who was turned away for not being registered. After she left, one of the polling place workers told the other one that this woman had registered to vote through MTV, but in actuality was not registered. He went on to say that "none" of the people who claimed to have registered on MTV were in fact registered to vote. I thought that this was pretty alarming, but then I heard on the radio this morning that youth voter turnout was far less than was predicted.

So I'm wondering, is it possible that most or all of the people who registered through MTV in fact were unable to vote yesterday? I would think that that would be a huge blow to Kerry, since most young people seem to vote liberal/democrat.

BTW, the woman in front of my girlfriend was apparently not offered a provisional ballot.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:22 am

This is a public service announcement
With guitar
Know your rights all three of them

Number 1
You have the right not to be killed
Murder is a crime!
Unless it was done by a
Policeman or aristocrat
Know your rights

And number 2
You have the right to food money
Providing of course you
Don’t mind a little
Investigation, humiliation
And if you cross your fingers
Rehabilitation

Know your rights
These are your rights
Wang

Know these rights

Number 3
You have the right to free
Speech as long as you’re not
Dumb enough to actually try it.

Know your rights
These are your rights
All three of ’em
It has been suggested
In some quarters that this is not enough!
Well..............................

Get off the streets
Get off the streets
Run
You don’t have a home to go to
Smush

Finally then I will read you your rights

You have the right to remain silent
You are warned that anything you say
Can and will be taken down
And used as evidence against you

Listen to this
Run

~Neal

Kadoth Nodens · Post by **Kadoth Nodens** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:03 am

Just guessing here, but if "through MTV" = "through MTV's website" then the problem may have been that the young woman didn't actually mail anything in.

I don't think any of these "Vote or Die" type web jobbies actually registered you to vote. They basically filled out the registration form for you, emailed you a copy, then gave you instructions on how to mail it in.

Raven_13 · Post by **Raven_13** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:09 am

Ok, so then it would be human error on the part of the voter for not being registered. This makes sense to me. Thanks Kathode.

Kadoth Nodens · Post by **Kadoth Nodens** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:23 am

Raven_13 wrote:Thanks Kathode.

You're very welcome and I need a more distinctive username.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:32 am

Sounds like a nice way to supress the vote for a specific demographic. Doesn't Viacom own MTV?

noxiousdog · Post by **noxiousdog** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:34 am

LawBeefaroni wrote:Sounds like a nice way to supress the vote for a specific demographic. Doesn't Viacom own MTV?

This forum has degenerated into MTV being a political trick FOR Bush?

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:38 am

noxiousdog wrote:This forum has degenerated into MTV being a political trick FOR Bush?

Don't lump everyone into that train of thought. Only a few people are seriously proposing it.

Sort of an ironic (in an Alynis sort of way) thought, though. MTV gets a whole pile of the uneducated to think they've registered to vote, only to find out they can't just sign on to a website and be done with it. Apathy does *not* rule the day...

~Neal

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:42 am

Are our kids so dumb that they can't figure out how to register to vote? They can find and download the latest movies, music and software but can't use google to find out the legal way of registering to vote? MTV shouldn't have to do it for them.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:45 am

Unless you think MTV could have scrounged up 4 million votes for Kerry, I don't think it matter much either way.

Despite record turnouts and 7 million more people voting in 2004 than in 2000, the youth vote again (just as it does every single election year) failed to materialize.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:46 am

From the MTV website:

Getting registered to vote may seem complicated, but in most cases it's as easy as point, click, print, mail. Here's how you do it:

Get Registered Online.

* Click here to get to the Choose or Lose online voter registration form.
* Select your state and fill out the form.
* Print out your completed form.
* Drop it in the mail. The address is provided on the printout.

Now, if the forms were dropped in the mail and not registered that's one thing. But if a person expected to just register online and be done with it...

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:52 am

noxiousdog wrote:
LawBeefaroni wrote:Sounds like a nice way to supress the vote for a specific demographic. Doesn't Viacom own MTV?

This forum has degenerated into MTV being a political trick FOR Bush?

No, no I'm not saying MTV is for Bush, just that it would be an interesting scam and that MTV isn't crazy, hippy, left MTV, it's a Viacom corporation. Christ.

I will state that the current MTV generation is so used to online transactions that there is surely a fair amount that filled out the form and thought they were done. Careful observers will see opportunities in future elections.

Tareeq · Post by **Tareeq** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:53 am

siljanus wrote:From the MTV website:

Getting registered to vote may seem complicated, but in most cases it's as easy as point, click, print, mail. Here's how you do it:

Get Registered Online.

* Click here to get to the Choose or Lose online voter registration form.
* Select your state and fill out the form.
* Print out your completed form.
* Drop it in the mail. The address is provided on the printout.
Now, if the forms were dropped in the mail and not registered that's one thing. But if a person expected to just register online and be done with it...

It doesn't say that you need to apply postage! CALL ATRIOS!

Kadoth Nodens · Post by **Kadoth Nodens** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:01 pm

The Meal wrote: Sort of an ironic (in an Alynis sort of way) thought, though. MTV gets a whole pile of the uneducated to think they've registered to vote, only to find out they can't just sign on to a website and be done with it. Apathy does *not* rule the day...

While I don't think there was any sort of grand Bush/Puff Daddy conspiracy going on here, and I highly doubt this influenced the election much one way or another, I've got a feeling it just wasn't the "uneducated" that were confused by this.

There were big flashing "REGISTER TO VOTE" banners on half the websites I visited over the past few months. They should've read "INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE".

I actually used one for an address change & was curious to how I could do it via the web without having to sign anything. Of course, it turns out you can't (at least in NJ), but I can definitely see how a first time voter or the non-computer savvy could've been confused on how the process was supposed to work.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:01 pm

Tareeq wrote:
siljanus wrote:From the MTV website:

Getting registered to vote may seem complicated, but in most cases it's as easy as point, click, print, mail. Here's how you do it:

Get Registered Online.

* Click here to get to the Choose or Lose online voter registration form.
* Select your state and fill out the form.
* Print out your completed form.
* Drop it in the mail. The address is provided on the printout.
Now, if the forms were dropped in the mail and not registered that's one thing. But if a person expected to just register online and be done with it...
It doesn't say that you need to apply postage! CALL ATRIOS!

DUDE! WHAT'S THIS POSTAGE THING? I HAVE SOME POSTS ON THIS OCTOPUS FORUM. WILL THAT COVER IT?