Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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II C SouthhOarolintOHSDiiLibi'ai'y' \ Horseshoe t ^i jjjjjjjj ^^^bsbbd 9ums?gg& ggg ^^MDP IwCT GDfifl / RH n ^BPr MH SSSiiiSliSSSIIlM! ,,L MlBiiiBT^WTf"''a<"^^w^ The Gamecock Founded 1908 Monday Volume 77, No. 40 University of South Carolina November 5 1984 Strong \ By Laura Boozer Twenty-eight million votes '.re more than enough to change the outcome of anv elec tion, but 18- to 24-year-olds iren't interested in voting. Co mm on weal magazine did an extensive study of why young peopl*. vote less than any other group in America and tend to scatter im-ii \uic wncn mey ao turn out. Young people, both college students and those not in college, have emerged as an unshapen group with nc solidarity. THIS RELICTANCK to vote has shot down the theory shared by political activists in the early 1970s t lat young voters would be a vital force infl iencing American politics for decades to ccme. Young people who do vote show weak ties to any particula party and show more independence thar any other age group. The youth vote is restricted not only by a growing individualism, but also by a varying level of education and fluctuating divisions of age. There are problems in defining the division of youth as an age group, but most surveys place the uppe. age for youth at age 24 to 29. While the term, "youth vote," usually goes with college students, less than onethird of the 28 million eligible 18- to 24-year old voters are enrolled in college. About onehalf of those in that age group either work. REAGAN vs. MON 71% 1111 tPitj I ] 26% i WIS TV poll use MOCK fouth vot still live a* home or are married. But because of the focus on students, they receive more attention than non-students and have the ability to make more of an upheaval on state and local races. The passage of the 26th Amendment in 1971 brought attention to the youth vote, particularly to the 11 million 18- to 20-yearolds who were instantly legalized voters. IK receiving almost unanimous support in Congress, the amendment passed in a recordbreaking time of three months and one week. THK 18-YKAR-OLD amendment brought the largest increase in voting eligibility since 1920 when w omen were permitted to vote. A massive voter registration effort followed the amendment ratification. Commonweal said student activists arc recruited heavily from those studying the social sciences. Some others wiJI become active in political activities, "but it will take ITinrP nf an aciitP nricic than ih-ii rtf tho I Of ? ? . .... V.^%. %v VI (UIJ IIIUII ill UI VI I 1 IV I 7UV3 to create mass political rebellion on campuses," the magazine said. Young voters make up nearly one out of every five voters in the United States, in South Carolina 21.3 percent of the voters are between ages 18 to 24. Fran Owen, state director of the Democratic campaign, said, "Every vote, including the student vote, is very important. S Reagan t By Linda Taylor A USC mock election and a poll show Ronald Reagan Democratic contender Walte dale by a wide margin ir i Carolina. USC students supported Res more than 2-1 victory over P during the Oct. 31 election, received 1,274 votes and Mond ed 500 votes. j The two main candidates did all the votes, however. One cast a vote for "almost any< Reagan or Mnnrtalp " I IC ball coach Joe Morrison, County's Bill the Cat and Lib David Bergland all received vc 28% I IN A random telephone si) | 1,136 registered voters conduc 22-26 for W1S-TV, 63 percen respondants favored Reagan, cent said they would vote for I* and 10 percent were undecidc< One percent refused to take thf*> tnrvnv nv caiH ilinn 1^ ' VI JMIM UltJ VTUUIU : one of the minor party eandid The survey, conducted by t College of Journalism for V has a margin of error of plus o 3 to 4 percent. Rcspondants also were whether Vice President Georj or Democratic vice president | :j clidatc Cieraldine lerraro woul | a better president. e not exi "Every vote, including the student been elections in the past where pe votes." There have been elections in the past where people have won by only one or two votes." OWENS ALSO said students arc backing President Reagan on a na\ional scale. She said .s^w thinks tjiLs is because "students are coirfparing Reagan to Carter, who are the predominant presidents in the memories of the college students of today, but if the students would look at the issues of this campaign, they would see the truth." On the Republican side, Warren . Tompkins, executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party, said the 18- to ?zl.UPar_nl^l nrrt D # ? '. * ? . ^V... vy.u mi. I\V_<1?.<111 MlUllgCSl supporters. But he also added, "unfortunately, that age group also produces the smallest turnout at the polls." easily wins m SIXTY-FOUR percent of t WIS-TV respondants favored Bush to 21 p< leading cent for Ferraro, with 13 percc r V/1r?r?_ 11 i South Of those who said they vv< Republicans, 96 percent favor igan in a Reagan. Of those claiming to ^londale Democrats, 58 percent said they wot Reagan vote for Mondale. Seventy-three pi ale poll- cent of the independents said th would choose Reagan. In't take The USC mock election w student sponsered by representatives 'of t 3ne but Student Government, the Residen C foot- Hall Association and the USC Colle Bloom Republicans. ertarian The election was a non-partis ites. event even though the USC Y?u Democrats didn't co-sponsor the el irvey of tion, according to Donald Weav ted Oct. Mock Election Committee chairn t of the and College Republicans president. 26 perrfondale "DURING THE election, I was i. ting as chairman of the Mock Elect; : part in Committee, not as president of i vote for College Republicans. We ensui ates. fairness by involving the Stud* he USC Government and insisting on havi /IS-TV, no campaign materials -at the polli r minus tables," Weaver said. The Young Democrats declined invitation 10 join in mid-septemb< asked preferring instead to concentrate < ic Bush the issues. ial can- Any student with a valid identific Id make tion card could vote in the mock ele tion. The committee set up tables srcised vote, is very important. There have nnln kmm i* U... opic nave wuii uy umy one or two - Fran Owen Democratic campaign state director What the Republican Party plans to do is "make strong appeals to ihe youth to motivate them to vote." Traditionally student voters have leaned more toward the Democratic Party, but since 1980. Tom pkins saici, "students Have found a home with the Republican Party." About 1.4 million South Carolina residents are eligible to vote tomorrow, but cool temperatures and long lines may discourage some from participating. Only about 1 million South Carolinians are expected to vote on presidential, congressional, state and local representatives and on several proposed amendments to the state constitution. The temperatures should be between 30 and 45 degrees, but no rain is expected. Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. ock election he heavily traveled areas of campus. *r- "The locations were voted" on at a :nt Residence Hall meeting with the Mock Election Committee. We were trying to ;re get a mix between dorms and classes," ed Weaver said. be ild 1,771 STUDKNTS stopped to vote jr- between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ey "I was surprised and impressed with the turnout. More students voted in as this election than in Student Govern he merit elections. Interest in national ice politics is picking up," said SG Preside dent Glenn German, who counted the votes with Weaver, an Committee workers made sure that ing students didn't vote twice because of ec- the different locations by checking off er, a number on the back of the IDs. lan ______ I Inside 1 ac" Classified 19 '?n Dateline 2 J , Entertainment 10 ae Opinion 8 ng Sports 16 nc , Student wins suit. A (JSC an engineering student has won a ,?r plagiarism suit against a Columbia i n." w of ;.i| >?.'! tiilll|iaii v ? $ Hollywood harmony. Music has always been an integral part of the a" movies 10 'Cin .