Students Disenfranchised

by Bob Ray, a CSUC Student

During CSU, Chico's Christmas break, at the December 19th meeting of the Chico City Council, council members Keene, Hurbert, Bertagna, and Wahl sent what many see as a bigoted and discriminatory message to Chico students.

These 4 conservatives voted to set a June 5th (summer break) election date for the Otterson Drive special election. By setting this date, the conservative majority effectively took steps to disenfranchise a voting block that they perceived as opposing a project that they support. About 40 protesting students took notice, and at the February 6th council meeting they turned up with signs exclaiming, "Discrimination hurts everyone," "I am part of this community," and "I live here and I want to vote." At that meeting, the council was poised to select a method in which to hold the special election (vote by mail or traditional polling locations). When Tom Lando (City Manager) stated that "vote by mail ballots could be sent out 29 days before the June 5th election date" it became clear to everyone that the vote by mail option would allow students to receive their ballots. Understanding the implications, students and other members of the community pleaded with the council to select the vote by mail option. The benefits of the vote by mail option were obvious to everyone present: vote by mail was $24,000 dollars cheaper, more people would be likely to vote, students would be included, and Chico voters had approved vote by mail specifically for special elections.

Nevertheless, Chico Chamber of Commerce President, Tod Kimmelshue, came to the podium and claimed that vote by mail was risky and plagued with fraud. He mumbled something about reading an article that described vote-by-mail fraud in the Wall Street Journal. He then indicated that he would try to "find the article for the council at a later date." The audience pointed out that vote-by-mail verification standards were exactly the same as the verification standards used for absentee ballots. The County Clerks office staff verifies and matches every signature on every ballot with a voter's corresponding signature on his/her voter registration card.

Therefore, there was no reason to believe that fraud could affect this election any more or less than a regular election. Sadly, the conservatives used this excuse to jump on the discrimination-for-advantage bandwagon. They feigned concerns saying that "students living in dorms would be filling out their roommates ballots and mailing them in." Councilmember Keene stated that he, "wanted deliberate voters" indicating that he didn't want to make it easy for people to vote. Larry Wahl echoed this statement by saying, "nothing worth a hoot should be easy." They indicated that students could vote by absentee and it was "insulting to students to claim the were incapable of filling out an absentee ballot application."

Of course students are not stupid, but they are new voters just learning the ins and outs of the voting process. The absentee ballot process requires several steps and has deadlines that most people are unaware of. This process can be complicated even for people that have been voting for 50 years. The conservatives have once again jumped at the opportunity to gain an advantage and in the process thrown roadblocks in front of all Chico's voters. Why is gaining this advantage more important than their civic responsibility? Their role as leaders is to set an election time, place, and manner that best serves to hear the will of all the people. Their actions spit in the face of democracy and degrade its value to all. They should be ashamed for using their entrusted power on city council to implement sneaky campaign tactics.

Good leaders don't use deception and influence to further their agenda, careers, and goals. They use their entrusted power to justly serve the community. These tactics did not go unnoticed by Chico's citizens or by the God whose values they seem to use as a step ladder instead of a cornerstone. Frankly, they are scared of students and after the last election turnout, they should be. An organized campus absentee ballot campaign will actually defeat them despite all their efforts.

The Otterson Bridge has turned into a metaphorical bridge of discrimination. They should be more careful about bridges they propose and what they build. The only bridge this community should be building in the near future should be one that leads these conservatives back to private life.

From the Spring 2001 issue of the Environmental News.