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Follow us on TwitterNew voters increase Lynchburg registrations by more than 12 percent
KIM RAFF/THE NEWS & ADVANCE
Volunteers Thelma Chow (left) and Liberty University student Lauren Mason alphabetize voter registration forms at the Lynchburg Registrar’s office on Tuesday. The office is processing 600 to 800 new forms per day, up from about 200 per month, and need volunteers to help.
New-voter registrations in Lynchburg have boosted the voter rolls by an unprecedented 12 percent this year, with many applications from Liberty University students still to be processed.
The deadline for registering is Oct. 6, just five days away, and more than 200 applications are pouring in daily, said Pat Bower, Lynchburg registrar.
Volunteer helpers have enabled her office to keep pace.
Almost 3,000 voter application forms were processed during September, Bower said.
Liberty students sent an estimated 3,500 applications, and more than half of those had been entered into the voter database as of Monday.
The registrar’s office mailed lots of registration cards on Monday for students who registered at Liberty’s 1971 University Boulevard address.
“Liberty’s post office should be swamped this afternoon,” Bower said Tuesday.
Volunteers, including about 15 Liberty students and the League of Women Voters, have been using every available workstation in the registrar’s office, including three laptop computers that were added to a conference-room table last week, Bower said.
On Monday, another volunteer had to sit on the floor to sort registration forms into alphabetical order, Bower said.
Elsewhere in the state, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads — the most populous regions — have been registering new voters faster than other urban sectors.
Northern Virginia favors Democrat Barack Obama for president more heavily than any other region, according to a Mason-Dixon poll released last week. Hampton Roads favored Republican John McCain by a slight margin in the same poll.
Another Mason-Dixon poll, taken after Friday night’s presidential debate, is expected out later this week.
Reader Reactions
Marie Batten: Definitely I prefer Jim Gilmore over Mark Warner to replace the retiring John Warner. Mark Warner has done nothing for this state; only used political office to further his own political aspirations and promote a liberal agenda. Had the state been left in such great fiscal standing as M. Warner would lead us to believe why is the fledgling Timmy Kaine dealing with a “budget short-fall” 2 1/2 years into his administration?
Perhaps one reason this country has more “citizens” incarcerated than any other world country is due to the fact that capital punishment is swift in some other countries. No series of appeals that drag out (20) years and then commuted to life. Foreign countries use more severe punishments - i.e. cutting off fingers, hands, limbs, stoning.
As for 13% of Black males being in prison, the reason is pure conjecture. Social/economic disparities, education, lack of jobs, skills, initative are all contributing factors. That being said - certainly most of us can make a decision as to whether we want to be confined or not. So do we or don’t we?
Put me at the top of the list as stating the justice system in this country is not equitable. Putting a person in jail for stealing food to satisfy hunger will get you in jail almost instantly. A corporate executive siphoning millions from stockholders goes unpunished. Something’s definitely wrong with this picture.
I certainly believe in fair play. Liberty U might have the largest group, due to it’s overall size, but let me be clear: ANY COLLEGE STUDENT who is registering to vote in Lynchburg needs to follow the same laws that we all have to obey, and pay the same taxes, etc.
And I must also agree with the earlier post that mentioned traditional Lynchburg citizens have only their own apathy and indifference to blame if one university can swing elections this easily. And please remember, all these newly registered students will also vote in local elections. Think Jerry Jr. and crew won’t run candidates who completely support Liberty? Take over local government, and no one can stand in your way. I may not approve of Jerry Jr. motives or tactics but give the devil his due: he is a very smart man. Don’t under-estimate him.
Oldman…so NATIVE Gilmore is your ideal I suppose for a government rep. Another joke on us!
As to felons voting…..the U S has more citizens in jails than any other country in the world. Wonder why this is….One’s right to vote are generally restored when they have met their obligations…I have heard that 13% of black males are in prison….what is wrong with a society where this happens? Just curious as to what your thoughts are on this…seriously.
So, we have problems with out of state politicians, but not out of state voters? Curious, but then again it’s pretty obvious.
For all the liberal pundits critical of out-of-state college students, especially Liberty University, voting in The Old Dominion GOOD NEWS - well sorta. Mark Warner between ‘02 and ‘06 restored voting roghts to 3,414 felons. Timmy Kaine’s numbers stand at 2,576 in three years. Combined total = 5990. Not quite enough to even off-set Liberty yet, but Virginians for some uncanny reason continue to elect these out-of-state liberals to government posts allowing them to impose their agenda on the mainstream.
Ref: Media Gen. 9/29/08
Sorry alabama but the tractor trailer driver passing through and eating here is also paying his taxes the same way they are and he doesn’t vote here. That’s not much of an argument. As to thanking the Falwell “family”, interesting meanings there, I’ll keep my thanks until I see something to be thankful for.
The Falwells do what is best for themselves, they are doing none of this for the pleasure of being good citizens. Power, money, influence and circumventing the laws and requirements of the City of Lynchburg. That is their history and reputation.
Many of you seem concerned because of Liberty’s voter registration drive – other schools are doing it in the state – the only difference is that LU students are generally more conservative than students from other schools.
Some of you seem concerned about whether or not LU students are paying taxes. Let me assure you, they are. I hear complaints from students all the time about the local taxes at restaurants in Lynchburg – and indeed they do seem ridiculously high – until you consider that it is one of the fairest ways to collect taxes from out of town college students. The extent of development on wards road would not have happened – for good or bad – without Liberty University. LU students help out (GENEROUSLY!) the local economy through their tax contributions at local businesses. Much has been said about the state of the economy. Having recently moved from Michigan, I know what a bad economy looks like. Lynchburg is doing much better than other places around the country, for which we should be thankful. And in part, we can thank the Falwell family and Liberty University – whether we agree with them or not.
eyeinthesky you are most correct and Falwell, Inc. will gladly take any help it can get from the ACLU on this. Grand hypocrisy considering how much idiot money they raise ranting against the ACLU.
Nonetheless, I think this is mostly overblown and if Lynchburg’s vote is swayed by these indoctrinated children then it is Lynchburg’s fault for being so indifferent to the processes that affect it’s daily life.
Earlier this year we had Council elections that were, for all intents and purposes, totally ignored and returning to office all of the morons and swaggering incompetents that have spent us into serious financial jeopardy.
If the vote in Lynchburg, much less Virginia, is swayed by Falwell, Inc. it is no fault but our own.
I always find it amazing that Liberty U and TRBC always believe that the laws of our land apply to everyone else, but not them. If you want to vote here, do what every other citizen here does. If you don’t want to, vote where you do register your car and pay taxes.
Some would say this development is disturbing the sleep of some local Democrats - http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2008/09/shannon-valenti.html
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