Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 29, 1994 TAG: 9409290073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CRYSTAL CHAPPELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Passage of Amendment 2 in the Nov. 8 general election is "critical" to increasing voter participation, said the league's national president, Becky Cain, during a press conference sponsored by the Roanoke Area League of Women Voters at the Roanoke Regional Airport.
The constitutional amendment allowing Virginia to have a "moter voter" system would prevent an "undue burden on citizens," Cain said.
If the amendment is not approved, the state would be forced to maintain two registration lists: one list for local and state elections and another for federal elections because the National Voter Registration Act will be in effect in January 1995, Cain said.
Virginia is one of the few states receiving an extra year to overcome a "constitutional hurdle" to approve its "motor voter" system, Cain said. Virginia's Constitution requires that people register in person and that voters be deleted from the registration list if they have not voted in four years.
Passing the amendment sends a "simpler, clear message to voters that we want you in the election process," said Cain, who encouraged Virginia Tech students to get involved in the democratic process at a "Mobilizing for Freedom, Choices and Civil Liberties" event earlier that day.
Allowing people to register by mail and when they apply for driver's licenses would benefit senior citizens, people who have disabilities, and young people, Cain said.
Though the system will have start-up costs, costs of the registration system will decrease because mail-in registrations cost less per action than in-person applications, Cain said.
If approved, the amendment would be in effect Jan. 1, 1996, in time for the next presidential election.
by CNB