76-09-A4

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Postcard Registration

Transcript Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it -- or so the saying goes. For the last few years, maybe not everyone but quite a few, have been talking about the number of Americans who don't take advantage of their hard-fought right to vote. Unfortunately, some decided to do something about it. In my own state (California) the legislature, with great fanfare, adopted postcard registration. There are now 14 out of the 50 states in which voter registration can be accomplished by mailing in a post card. The reasoning behind this is that the low voter turnout is due to the slight difficulty in going to a registrar of voters. Of course, no one has pointed out that the same individual who finds this an insurmountable obstacle might also find going to the polls too inconvenient. In California, now that you can register by postcard, we had nearly half a million fewer eligible voters register than in 1972 and a little over a million fewer actually voting. In the 14 states that have adopted this method of registering, eight had decreases in registration and six had a slight increase. But, 12 reported a decline in the number who actually voted. In Texas, one of the two showing an increase, registration went up by over a million, but there was no appreciable gain in the number of people who voted. In spite of these questionable benefits, you can bet that Congress is going to try to pass a national postcard registration plan. The argument, of course, will be that citizens yearning to vote are prevented from doing so by the horrendous barrier of having to appear before a registrar. The answer to that is one the American general gave to the German demand for surrender at the Battle of Bastogne during World War II -- QUOTE -- "Nuts" -- UNQUOTE. It is true that a great many citizens don't register and many who are registered don't vote. Some just can't be bothered, but too many are disenchanted with the political process. There is a disillusionment with government; a feeling that government has failed us and that the political parties no longer have meaning. Too many Americans feel government has grown so big that they as individuals can have no effect on it. The answer to this and the responsibility of both parties is to show that only by participating can they help change the things that are wrong. Government by the people won't work if the people won't work at it. When Congress tries to present postcard registration as the great solution, will they tell us it will also be a nightmare leading to another bureaucratic monster with a cost estimated at $100 million and up? I'm sure they won't tell us how much it will open the door to massive voter fraud, always a threat to the democratic process. The experience in the states where postcard registration is already in effect gives proof that fraud will be attempted and that there is virtually no protection against it under this system. In one of the 14 states, one individual sent in 108 applications and only by accident was the fraud uncovered -- but he or she was never identified. One application turned out to be a city park -- hardly a qualified voter. Another was a gas station. There was a boarded up warehouse, a power company, vacant lots, and a playground among others. Why don't we try reverse psychology and make it harder to vote? That might also make it more desirable and attractive. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.		Details Batch Number 76-09-A4 Production Date 01/19/1977 Book/Page RihoH-244 Audio Youtube? No
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