Election gaffes inspire legislation

As many as 12 voting machines should have been sent to the Stamp Student Union precinct for the general election instead of the four provided by the Prince George's County election board, the board's interim administrator has confirmed - an oversight that has prompted advocates to seek student voter rights legislation.

The shortage left students waiting as long as two hours on Election Day, an inconvenience that some have called tantamount to disenfranchisement.

"We should have sent one [voting machine] for every 200 voters registered," said Robert J. Antonetti Sr., the election board's interim administrator. "However, they probably looked at the historic voter count and didn't anticipate that high a number of voters" at the Student Union.

Antonetti, who has served as the county election board's interim administrator since June 11, pointed to elections in 2002 and 2004 when student turnout was a much lower percentage of the registered voters.

"We were very stressed between the primary and the general election - you only have about 40 days," Antonetti said.

State Sen.-elect Jim Rosapepe, who represents District 21, where the university is located, said he is looking to pass comprehensive legislation at the state level to protect student voter rights.

Rosapepe promised the law on election night after expressing dismay at the long line to vote during a visit to the Student Union's precinct. He has been working with County Councilman-elect Eric Olson and state Del. Justin Ross as well as Billy Grayson of the student voter advocacy group Maryland Votes to brainstorm ideas for a possible bill.

Rosapepe said the legislation will go beyond beefing up the number of voting machines at polling places. He said his goal is "basically a student voting rights law that would address a variety of issues that make it difficult for students to vote."

"One of the things that I noticed on election night was the extent to which students were just confused about whether they could vote at the union or if they had to go elsewhere," Rosapepe said, explaining that how voter registration works is a priority.

He said he will also be looking for ways to get students' information disseminated quickly so candidates can provide them with campaign materials.

Republicans and Democrats alike have developed sophisticated technologies and databases for targeting likely voters during campaigns in recent elections, but students present a difficult challenge, advocates say, because their addresses change from year to year.

"Students don't have the information that other voters do" as a result, Rosapepe said.

Antonetti, who said he has notified the county board that more voting machines need to be provided to the school, urged students to register any change of address with the county by simply sending a letter with the new address.

Olson also stressed the importance of getting students more involved during campaigns.

"We definitely have to tackle the voting machines issue first and foremost," Olson said, "but also engage students in the political process."

To an extent, advocates said they took long lines at the union this year as a positive sign about student involvement. Of the 356 students registered to vote on the campus during the gubernatorial election of 2002, only 10 showed up to vote. In the last presidential election, 149 of the 623 registered voters turned out. This year, more than 2,100 students were registered on the campus, and 458 cast ballots with another 222 voting provisionally.

Still, the same number of voting machines was provided in 2006 as in 2004 - despite the jump in registrations. Grayson said Maryland Votes counted more than 90 students who left the line by about 7 p.m. before voting .

"People ought to be able to come and vote in minutes, not in hours," Rosapepe said. "I really think this is a voting rights issue because when you limit the number of voting machines you are eliminating peoples' right to vote."

Contact reporter Andrew Vanacore at vanacoredbk@gmail.com.