A needed extension

Campaigns ushering young people to the polls have been ubiquitous over the years: Rock the Vote has been active since 1990, MTV joined the fray with the "Choose or Lose" bus, Diddy touted "Vote or Die," and even MySpace co-hosted a series of "presidential dialogues" last year. Despite those efforts, the number of voting young people hasn't met expectations. However, a statewide referendum that could pass this November might change that.

As Kevin Robillard reported in yesterday's story, "Referendum would allow early voting," the question at hand is that allowing people to vote up to two weeks before an election. Thus, students would have a two-week buffer zone during which they would have the freedom and convenience to go home and cast their ballots.

In an election year when the youth vote has (finally) been considered relevant, it's critical for lawmakers to find ways to sustain that momentum.

Our voices are just as important those of as any other voting demographic, and we should exercise that equality. But for many of us, it's not so simple. For some, classes, work and extracurriculars keep us from voting in our home districts. For others, access to transportation home on election day may pose a problem. While students can vote absentee or register with their campus or local address, those aren't always enviable options that students should feel forced to take.

Some argue the referendum could increase voter fraud, but the worry seems farfetched - and there's no proof of that happening in other states yet. Others argue the increase in voters won't meet expectations - as was the case in Ohio. Regardless, the referendum is still worthwhile.

The fact that the bill would allow people to vote outside of their election district is an additional benefit, because, as many students hail from the eastern shore and other far-away parts of the state. The initiative would also allow students to vote in city elections before school vacations, allowing them to stay involved in College Park, state and national politics.

Del. Jon Cardin (D-Baltimore County), said the referendum is "simply good policy to make elections as transparent and convenient as possible." We couldn't agree more. Any attempt to help people participate in the voting process is a good one; it's just democratic.