Taking the League abroad?

Getting potential voters to register and cast their votes is an ongoing effort for the League. The early League leaders concentrated on encouraging women to use their newly obtained ballot, but now we make an all-out effort to get everyone to vote. It's easy to forget that women around the world are not always considered potential voters. The Los Angeles Times today has a chilling story from a woman who has worked as a reporter in Saudi Arabia. Saudi women are not allowed to vote any more than they are allowed to drive a car. The story quotes young, educated women who ask "Why should I vote when I have a father or husband who can vote?" The truth is that no matter how much some Saudi women may proclaim that they are completely satisfied with conditions in their country, it is hard to believe that the constant restrictions don't affect their view of themselves. When a person is treated as a danger, a temptation to men who must be hidden away in the back room of restaurants and in separate lines in banks, there must be a feeling of isolation and of being less important to the life of the country than men are. Unfortunately, the United States government and American corporations don't mind going along with these regulations and taking advantage of the rich Saudi economy and oil reserves. Even Starbucks forbids women sitting down to drink their lattes without going into a hidden room in the back of the store. Perhaps its time for the League to turn its attention to pushing for changes in this policy. Next time you sip a coffee in Starbucks while you check email on your laptop, take the time to send the company a message complaining about their willingness to go along with oppressive laws in rich foreign countries.

Deciding on the Very Day

The League office in San Francisco handles dozens of telephone calls every fall from people asking about when they have to register to vote. In a city with many new voters and a population that moves frequently, the deadline for registration is a hot topic. This isn't true everywhere. Seven states allow voters to register on election day, as an op-ed piece in today's NY Times describes. Voter turnout in these states averages ten percent higher than in the country overall. As the authors of this piece argue, most citizens today have ID that makes it easy for them to establish their credentials for voting. Voter fraud is often cited as the reason for demanding early registration, but voter fraud has seldom been a problem. These days civic organizations and government agencies work hard to encourage people to get out and vote, but the turnout in the U.S. is lower than in many other countries. Having to register ahead of time is surely a part of this. The League and other groups might well turn their efforts to making same-day registration the law in California. People who vote have a sense of ownership and take more interest in what the government is doing. This is what makes a democracy strong.