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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 16, 2004 Locals urge increased vote By Amanda Bolsinger Tidings Correspondent As was proven in the 2000 election, where the states of Florida and Oregon, to name two, were decided by precious few votes, every vote does indeed count. Patrons at Water Street Cafe can register to vote while waiting for their food, and earn a free latte for their effort. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings To that end, Ashland residents are getting out and getting voters registered for the upcoming election. Adrienne Hill and Nathan Russ, co-owners of the Water Street Cafe, are registering voters at their business and offering a free Italian soda or latte as an added bonus. "The other day I registered someone who had just turned 18," Hill says. "They didn't even know which party was which, but they still just wanted to vote." Putting personal party allegiances aside, Karen Tyler and Marilynn Young petition for voter registration in front of local supermarkets. They can be found this week in front of Shop 'N' Kart in a wooden booth signing up voters on their way to buy groceries. "I just feel strongly about this election," Tyler says. "I want to increase the amount of voters out there. We are just helping people think about getting out there and voting." These women don't have long histories of political activism. This is the first time that they have participated this heavily with the political process, they all say. But with this being, in the shared opinion of Hill and Young, "the most important election of my lifetime," they felt a need to inspire others to political action. Aside from registering voters, Young and Tyler answer a lot of questions about the voting process. Many voters want to know the deadline to register, or when they will receive their ballot in the mail. Students want to know how to register locally, or with their home state, while others have questions about absentee ballots. "It's so worth while, we each have a couple hour shifts and answer a lot of questions and get to register people," Tyler says. Young is volunteering her time with the memory of suffragettes fighting for her, and other women. "Less then 100 years ago, women died in prison getting women the vote," Young says. "We as women owe it to them to be informed and to be a part of the process." As well as encouraging women to vote, Young encourages anyone with any opinion about any part of the political system to get registered and vote. "How can anyone complain if they don't vote?" Young says. "What do you have to lose by voting? I'm surprised by people who say that they don't want to vote, and you have to wonder - there are more bills than just the presidential election - don't they feel strongly about something?" Hill echoes that sentiment with her beliefs that voting is one of the most important rights of citizenship, but that it is also a responsibility of citizens to vote. The dismally low voter turnout of the 2000 election is part of what made Hill decide to register voters at her cafe. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 55 percent of the voting age was registered to vote in November of 2000. If the ineligible non-citizens of voting age are removed then 60 percent of the population actually registered. However, 86 percent of the registered population did vote. Hill and the rest of the staff at the Water Street Cafe decided that by making registration easy and accessible they could reach a wide range of potential voters. "It's important to get people engaged in this process," Hill says. "If you can get people registered the chances are great that they will actually vote. We have reached a wide variety of citizens from high school students, travelers and people who are new to Ashland. The result has been that we have been able to register not only locals but people through out all of Oregon." Young and Tyler have found their supermarket registration drive to be very successful. They have already registered more than 200 voters. "I carry the registration forms with me where ever I go," Young says. "Anywhere I go, anyone I can talk to, I'm just asking everybody if they are registered. I think if everyone did that we would have great voter turnout." The Water Street Cafe has registered more than 100 and anticipates being able to register 400 total voters by the Oct. 12 deadline for registration. "We make registering as simple as possible," Hill says. "Our primary message is that it's critical to vote and exercise your right. If people are in Ashland, come down to the cafe. We have the registration forms, and absentee forms, you can pick them up and turn them in to the cafe. Just vote. It's as simple as that." 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