Is Telling Students to Vote Wrong?

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Clarissa

October 17, 2012

I always remind my students to vote. Of course, I never tell them whom to support and never betray my own political preferences. But I do tell them that voting is both a right and a privilege, that they need to have a say in how this country is run, that they should keep themselves informed and participate in the political process.

I gave this speech in 2004 and in 2008 and was preparing to give it this year. In my experience, the speech works. Students always look energized and more interested in voting after I give it.

I have discovered, however, that I’m not allowed to remind students to vote because this supposedly constitutes political activism which I’m not entitled to engage in while on campus because I’m employed by the state. The students will supposedly feel coerced to vote by me as the representative of the government (sic!), even though I don’t offer credit for voting and never persecute anybody for not voting.

It feels very weird to avoid any mention of the elections in my classes. In my language courses, I used to get students to recreate the presidential debates in Spanish and it was always a lot of fun. Now I can’t do any of this.

Of course, I will not violate this requirement but I still don’t get it. Do you think it is coercive to remind students that there will be an election on November 6?

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27 responses to “Is Telling Students to Vote Wrong?”

Spanish Prof

October 17, 2012

You can tell them attendance is optional.

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Evelina Anville

October 17, 2012

Well I work for a private school but I ALWAYS tell students to vote. So does every single faculty member I know. Many people discuss the debates in class and remind students to be engaged with the political process. How can it be a bad or coersive thing to tell students to vote? I’m shocked!…………I wonder if it’s because students by and large represent a liberal voting block and this is yet another instance of vote tampering?

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  October 17, 2012
  
  Yes, one of the arguments is that if one knows how students in this geographic are are likely to vote, one can skew the results by telling them to vote. Of course, my argument is that NOT telling them to vote has the same effect if the students in this area are likely to support the candidate one doesn’t like. My students are much more likely to vote Republican, so I’m definitely not promoting my own interests by telling them to vote.
  
  We speak so much about democracy in class that it seems weird never to mention anything relating to their personal experience of a functioning democracy.
  
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OyiaBrown

October 17, 2012

Sounds more like political correctness to me!

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E (The Third Glance)

October 17, 2012

That’s really ridiculous… reminding people to vote, and even more, making them aware of their right and privilege, as a citizen of this country, is a very important thing.

Are you allowed to say something like “Just remember that the right to vote is something afforded to every american citizen, and it isn’t that way everywhere in the world, nor has it always been that way. Voting is the chance you have to contribute to your society if you so choose. Election day is November 6. Use this knowledge wisely.”

It drives me insane that reminding people to vote (and NOT telling them HOW to vote, etc.) is considered bad. As a representative of the state, it should be your responsibility to help these students understand their duty to their state, local, and federal governments.

Also, I was just thinking, it’s awfully sad you can’t vote – you could just wear a big obnoxious “I VOTED” sticker all day – unless faculty aren’t even allowed to do THAT…

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  October 17, 2012
  
  “Are you allowed to say something like “Just remember that the right to vote is something afforded to every american citizen, and it isn’t that way everywhere in the world, nor has it always been that way. Voting is the chance you have to contribute to your society if you so choose. Election day is November 6. Use this knowledge wisely.”
  
  – That’s pretty much what I’ve been saying but now it seems the statement violates the requirements to profs at state universities. None of my colleagues expected this, so we are all very confused and even shocked to discover that we have been breaking some law this entire time. There are people who teach courses on the American democracy, so for them discussing the elections is central to their courses.
  
  “Also, I was just thinking, it’s awfully sad you can’t vote – you could just wear a big obnoxious “I VOTED” sticker all day – unless faculty aren’t even allowed to do THAT…”
  
  – That is also prohibited. The use of any stickers, T-shirts, etc. that mention voting and elections is prohibited. I’m now conflicted about my “This is what a feminist looks like” shirt. I don;t wear it to class but I have worn it on campus. It might be interpreted as a political statement, though.
  
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  1. Pub Editor
    
    October 17, 2012
    
    “I’m now conflicted about my ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ shirt. I don’t wear it to class but I have worn it on campus. It might be interpreted as a political statement, though.”
    
    I think that shirt would actually be OK. It does not refer to or endorse any specific candidate for office, political party, election, piece of legislation, or ballot item (like a petition or referendum). It does not “mention voting and elections.” And “feminist” has meaning in a number of cultural contexts beyond strictly politics.
    
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    1. bloggerclarissa
      
      October 17, 2012
      
      I will probably have to consult this with our resident Ethics Officer.
      
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  2. E (The Third Glance)
    
    October 17, 2012
    
    That’s ridiculous! It’s as if they’re trying to keep the students from voting. It’s not like you’re telling them who to vote, or how to vote. You’re just telling them they CAN vote. And that is a right guaranteed by the constitution, and should be protected by law… right? (My literal mind is having a very hard time grappling with this whole concept of politics – I had a minor breakdown yesterday trying to understand how half of the country disagrees with me on fundamental things that should just be a given. If I’m right, and that’s assuming a lot, but I have put a lot of thought into my decisions, then 50% of the country is wrong (or stupid). That makes no sense. My brain doesn’t get how this is possible. And if I’m wrong, then how come 50% of the country is wrong just like me?)
    
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    1. bloggerclarissa
      
      October 17, 2012
      
      “That’s ridiculous! It’s as if they’re trying to keep the students from voting. It’s not like you’re telling them who to vote, or how to vote. You’re just telling them they CAN vote. And that is a right guaranteed by the constitution, and should be protected by law… right?”
      
      – Students have so many classes and work obligations that often they can simply forget that the election is on a certain day. This is why I like to give these reminders. What is the harm in that, really?
      
      ” If I’m right, and that’s assuming a lot, but I have put a lot of thought into my decisions, then 50% of the country is wrong (or stupid).”
      
      – The other half simply has different interests. For example, depriving women of the right to their bodies and gay people of the right to marry might matter more to some people than their own economic interests. Some people honestly perceive somebody else’s marriage or abortion as a threat to themselves. They are willing to pay for that threat to be removed with plummeting standards of living for themselves, no jobs for their children, growing taxes, endless wars, etc.
      
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Ol.

October 17, 2012

It is not wrong, but I have always thought that it was not my business.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  October 17, 2012
  
  I want the students to take responsibility for what happens in the country. If they feel that they are adults who are entitled to participate in the political process, they will become more mature in everything they do.
  
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charlesrowley

October 17, 2012

I think that the State officials may be in breach of the First Amendment in forbidding you to speak on this issue. Of course, political correctness has gone so far that the First Amendment is all but shredded anyway on university campuses across this nation.

I would speak and be damned!

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  October 17, 2012
  
  It does sound like I lose my right to free speech once I step on campus. I realize that it’s wrong to promote a candidate or a party if I work for the state. But simply mentioning the election?
  
  The bureaucrats want to be on the safe side, and now I’m crippled in the message I want to send. The funniest part is that “Citizenship” is one of the core values that our university is supposed to promote.
  
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el

October 17, 2012

Just found an article about elections, how some get rich on others’ fear, cheating people out of $ :

Allen West plagued by scam PACs
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82498.html

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N G

October 17, 2012

Not knowing the election date is a well known voter suppression technique. If you live in Arizona for the 2012 election cycle and you are English speaking, you get the correct election date. On the other hand if you are Spanish speaking then you get the wrong election date.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/17/14344718-arizonas-largest-county-listed-wrong-date-for-the-election-on-voter-id-cards-but-just-in-spanish

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Hattie

October 17, 2012

This sounds like an attempt at voter suppression to me. I would challenge this through the channels, at the very least.

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David Gendron

October 17, 2012

You should tell them about how they could vote, but not asking them to vote.

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1. David Gendron
  
  October 17, 2012
  
  Correction:
  
  You should tell them about when and how they could vote, but not asking them to vote.
  
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David Gendron

October 17, 2012

“Do you think it is coercive to remind students that there will be an election on November 6?”

NO, clearly!

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David Gendron

October 17, 2012

“I’m not allowed to remind students to vote because this supposedly constitutes political activism which I’m not entitled to engage in while on campus because I’m employed by the state”

I agree, but you’re allowed to remind students that there’s an election on November 6th.

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lb

October 17, 2012

I would and will speak regardless.

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Sarah

October 18, 2012

I’m horrified that free speech has been so curtailed on campus, a seat of learning and education. How are you supposed to educate young adults as to their responsibilities in society if you cannot mention the most important day in a democracy – election day?
You (all members of staff) should be fighting this attack on democracy.

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valter07

October 18, 2012

I would tell anyway. See, they may have all kinds of idiotic rules, but not all of them are actually idiots, so it is highly unlikely that they will risk enforcing those rules and take any action against you. Because it is a serious scandal material…

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lamestllama

October 18, 2012

Here in Australia voting (well attendance at the booth) is compulsory, so reminding people to vote can save them from being fined.

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NancyP

October 18, 2012

Exactly where in the faculty manual is this listed? Who told you that you cannot mention elections or voting in a non-partisan manner? This makes about as much sense as telling all state employees (apart from secretary of state office) to refuse to give the address and phone number of voter registration offices or the website where one can look up one’s polling place location. – after all, that’s political activity.

This requirement to refrain from non-partisan reminders is suspect, and if you or other staff/faculty want to find out what the law actually requires (as opposed to what the university administrators say), write an e-mail or call the local ACLU.
http://www.aclu-il.org/

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Maria

October 27, 2012

I think encouraging them to vote is a very good thing.

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