Elections ’97 ("To Vote, or Not to Vote")

Personal Reflections

A simple glance at the school calendar said it all. Tuesday, November 4: "Election Day, regular classes." Looking back at old issues of the Commentator, one finds election stories of student protests and rallies. Their goal: to give students a chance to express their political convictions and stand up for what they believed was right. But it seems as if this year’s elections found YU students in an entirely different mood.

In contrast to the average YU student, there were people who actually voted on November 4. The incumbent, Rudolph Giuliani, ran away with a landslide victory in the New York City mayoral race. The New Jersey gubernatorial campaign came down to the wire. Local elections however, left many in the dark and few were aware of the four crucial questions that appeared on the ballot throughout New York State.

After barely eking out a victory against Al Sharpton in the Democratic primary, Ruth Messinger waged a weak campaign focused primarily on portraying Rudy Giuliani as a bully, unfit to run the city. She focused on issues such as the demise of the public school system, police brutality, scarcity of jobs and the general quality of life in the city. Ms. Messinger depicted a City Hall apathetic towards the people, where ambition counted more than the electorate.

Meanwhile, Mayor Giuliani simply stood by his record. He reduced crime, reduced the cities debt, and greatly improved the quality of life in New York. Perhaps his most significant achievement was that people felt better about living in, and coming to New York City. He brought the city out of the nation’s doghouse and turned it into one of the "top ranked" cities in the nation. In seeking a second term, he promised a further reduction in crime and a major battle against drug infiltration into nearly every corner of the city. His landslide win gives him the mandate he needs to mold the city in his image.

In New Jersey, Christine Whitman took it down to the wire again. After defeating Jim Florio by only one percentage point four years ago, she made good on her promise to cut income taxes and her popularity soared. The strength of the state’s economy helped catapult her to the political forefront of the Republican party, with many considering her a strong leader capable of taking on national responsibilities.

Her challenger, the little known state senator James E. McGreevy fought a pointed campaign based on pocketbook issues. He picked on New Jersey’s high auto insurance rates and property taxes, even though polls showed that most people didn’t trust him to lower rates either. His relentless attacks gave Whitman a run for her money, and her near margin of victory, again only one percentage point, may cost her the national spotlight.

So, what happened at YU? Food Services was on limited duty throughout the day. This gave their employees ample time to vote, an opportunity that most took advantage of. Several students proudly announced to their friends how they went home the night before, so that they could cast their ballots. And many professors made it their business to stop by their local polling stations before coming in for the day. But what about the majority of students?

For starters, a surprisingly large number of students are not even registered to vote. This is significant, because in many local races the old motto really holds true: "Every vote counts." When asked why they had not registered, many said that they did not know how to register. Others said that they had no time, or just didn’t care. One student, embarrassed by the question, answered "I didn’t even know I had to register to vote."

Among those who are registered, many students simply did not vote. The reason why would seem to be clear - all the students were in school. Last year, classes were canceled for election day and most people took advantage of the time off to vote. This year was not a national election and therefore, apparently, did not merit a day off. Some speculated that since students didn’t care to vote, the administration merely echoed their perspective.

Assistant Dean Michael Hecht explained that the reason was more practical. "Due to the construction of this year’s Jewish calendar, scheduling becomes an issue. Most students would rather have an extra day of intercession." According to Hecht, this year’s the midwinter break is shorter than in previous years, and an extra day off would require cutting deeper into vacation to conform to Yom Tov’s awkward schedule. Dean Hecht said that he didn’t feel students were being cheated out of their vote since after all, anyone can register for an absentee ballot.

Many students echoed Dean Hecht’s sentiments. One student remarked that "we already have a shorter break than most schools, so I don’t want to cut into it any more." Others wouldn’t give in so easily. "We have off next Tuesday for Veteran’s Day. Are they trying to tell us that it’s more important to commemorate the past than to ensure a solid future?"

One student said that he felt bad that he couldn’t vote. "I had classes all day and there was no way I could reasonably make it home. I would have loved to vote but there just was not enough time." This sentiment was echoed by many people who had made sure to be home last year to vote in the presidential election.

While many expressed regret, most New Yorkers didn’t feel all that bad once the votes were tallied. "As long as Giuliani won by such a large margin, I am confident that my vote was not the tie-breaker," said Yitzchok Moshel. "I was so sure of it that I never even worried."

In contrast, many students from New Jersey regretted that they had not voted in such a close race. "It’s a good thing Christy won because if she would have lost I would have felt very guilty." One person felt relief that he had to go back home, albeit for different reasons. "Once I was home I had to vote. But if I wasn’t already going home, no, I don’t think I would made the extra effort."

There were some brave souls who dared to buck the trend. Josh Posner gave up a ride from his home on Monday morning to drive in himself. This way he could drive back that night and vote the next morning. "I couldn’t vote last year because I was in Israel, and I wasn’t going to let this one get away," Posner stated.

As for the absentee ballot, most people said that they simply forgot to register for them. One student remarked, "Sure I could have sent it in, but it just slipped my mind. Why can’t they keep them at all polling stations so I could go pick one up wherever I am?"

On top of student apathy towards voting in general, many expressed disappointment with the voting process, questioning the need to be home to vote. "Why do they make it so difficult to simply go out and vote?" remarked one student. "With so many close races and important issues on the ballot I’m a little disappointed."

In fact, most students were not even aware of the questions that appeared on the ballot throughout New York State. Two important issues were being contended: whether to hold a constitutional convention to amend the State’s constitution, and whether to borrow nearly 2.5 billion dollars to help rebuild the public school system. Both were ultimately voted down. When queried on the issue, "What questions?" was the general response, but that response was largely in keeping with the general lack of information on the issues throughout the state.