Voter suppression is a phenomenon that should seem incomprehensible in the proud, democratic United States of America, but is something that still occurs during each and every election cycle. It has yet again become a topic of conversation due to the 2020 primaries, an event that was not exempt from its fair share of voter suppression. Voter suppression is the insidious effort taken to make the voting process more difficult for disenfranchised groups of people. The intention behind voter deterrence is grounded in the attempt to control the political outcomes of an election. Although the Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to outlaw the overtly racist tactics used to shut…
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NYPIRG Encourages Queens College Students to Register to Vote
The New York Public Interest Research Group has spent the first month of the semester encouraging students to register to vote for this year’s presidential election. NYPIRG’s mission is to get students involved in legislative action to effect change in their communities. NYPIRG addresses issues such as higher education affordability, hunger and homelessness, clean air and energy recycling, voter mobilization and other social initiatives. This semester, registering students to vote is a key activity for the nonprofit organization. Project coordinator Alyssa Ellis believes that through their efforts they can reach their goal. “Here at Queens College we’re trying to get 2,000 students registered to vote,” Ellis said. Along with her…
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NYPIRG aims to increase voter registration
As the New York State presidential primary election approaches, the New York Public Interest Research Group is working to increase voter registration on campus. New York ranks 46th out of 50 in state voter turnout. NYPIRG, New York’s largest student-direct government watchdog group, hopes to change this. Franklin Rodriguez, senior majoring in psychology and sociology, is an intern with NYPIRG and felt that low-voter turnout in America is a cause of concern. In the 2014 mayoral campaign, only 11 percent of young voters aged 18 to 25 turned out. Rodriguez said barriers preventing underrepresented groups are affecting voter turnout. “America, in general, has the lowest number of people registered to vote compared to…
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Broken machines are a concern at the 2013 primary elections
Voters from all over New York showed their concern for broken voter machines on Sept. 10, during the 2013 primary elections. Residents of Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens called in to New York Public Interest Research Group’s voter helpline, run with Common Cause/NY — a non-profit organization that encourages citizen participation in democracy — to complain about late poll site openings, unhelpful poll workers and ask questions about the location of polling sites. “The most common complaint was broken voter machines,” NYPIRG’s statewide outreach director, Andy Morrison said. NYPIRG notes that broken machines reported to the helpline by borough are: Brooklyn-18, Bronx-3, Manhattan-10, Staten Island-1 and Queens-7. Morrison…
