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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1984)
Portland Observer, February 8, 1984 Page 5 What makes people vote? by Margot E. Heutler Vour registration campaigns seem to be a common tactic of organizations seeking political pow er. The Jackson campaign is doing it. The N A A C P has been registering voters for years. Hispanics in the Southwest have begun to influence electoral outcomes through newly registered voters. In O reg o n, the A . P h illip R an dolph Institute is registering Black trade unionists, and the H u m an S E R V E cam paign it registering social service recipients. Peace, en vironm ental and other issue groups are doing the same. Lots o f activity is going on, but the question remains: W ill they vote? A n understanding o f what motivates people to vote will give some substance to speculations on whether or not minorities will regis- ter and vote in 1984. People, apparently, decide to vote on the same basis as they make other decisions— “ W hat's in it for me?” I f the advantages o f voting are perceived to outweigh the trou ble (the cost) o f voting, people will vote. A perception o f little change occurring or little benefit accruing to the voter, however, will seriously discourage voting. The impact o f one’s vote on the immediate outcome o f an election is generally o f less consequence than the effect o f voting itself on the im mediate well-being o f the indivi dual. W ard bosses no longer condi tion political favors on proof o f vot ing, but social or fam ily pressure can motivate voting as part o f one’s civic duty or allegience to the system or a party. Groups or organizations seeking political influence often mo tivate their followers to maximize jiower through membership in a vot ing bloc. Whatever the source, motivation to vote often is based on the percep tion o f intangible benefits to accrue to the voter. Lack o f voter partici pation, on the other hand, can be blamed on a lack o f perceived bene fits. M otivation to vote is thus one im portant component r*f the likelihood o f voter participation. The other factor is the cost o f voting. W hile poll taxes are no longer used to discourage registration and voting, other barriers still exist. One has to make time to register to vote; to learn about the candidates, issues and political parties; to decide how to vote; and to get to the polls on election day. Voter registration is one common barrier to voting. Forms must be lo cated. filled out, and returned to the proper agency. The more exper ienced a person is in bureaucratic- procedures— i.e., meeting deadlines and requirements— the more likely they will be to register and vote. T o the extent these bariers are les sened, voter behavior increases. One social service agency in Portland Type of V o tin g R em in d e r 29% 59% 66% Voting seems to be like so many other things in life. First we have to recognize a value to ourselves in doing it. Then we have to get around to doing something about it. T o the extent voting behavior is facilitated by organized groups in terested in either the process or the outcome, voter turnout will be in creased But for voters to remain ac tive after the voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts have faded, one must believe that voting will beneficially affect one’s life. H ow many times do we hear the comment that voting doesn’ t matter because: a) politicians are all the same; b) they don’t care; or c) they are all in the pocket o f someone else. These frequent complaints have one common origin— the belief that no personal benefit will accrue from an election. This outsider’s view o f the A m eri can political process may be chang ing, if recent minority voting pat terns are any indication. Black voter turnout on a national scale has surged since I978. and voter regis tration has followed suit. Between 1980 and 1982, 573.000 new Black voters were added to the rolls, and since the summer o f 1982, 600,000 more signed up. Black voters now comprise 59 percent of those eligible to be voters, or I0 .4 million Black voters out o f a pool o f 17.6 million o f voting age. This increased participation may partly be due to an increase of Black candidates. The mayors o f three of the four largest cities in the United States are Black, (H aro ld Washing ton in Chicago, Tom Bradley in Los Angeles, and Wilson Goode in P hil adelphia), 240 other Black mayors have been elected, 350 Blacks are state legislators, and 3,400 other Black officials now hold office. Worsening economic conditions for Black Americans have engen dered a different response in the 1980s than occurred in the 1960s. Instead o f expressing hostility through marching or violence, announces system. If the policies o f the Reagan A d ministration are thoroughly debated during the coming campaign, (he likely outcome w ill be increase voter participation by Blacks and other minority group members. T o the ex tern people see a chance to alter their lot through the ballot box, vot ing » ill occur. The problem for the Democrats will be to maintain that belief in so cial change if Jackson is not on the ticket in the fall. Your first bill for 1984 telephone ser vices includes some changes. For the first time, charges for AT&T Communications long distance calls will be included in your bill. Service Areas As a result of the break-up of the Bell System, two service areas have been created within Oregon. The local telephone companies are restricted to providing service w ithin these areas and A"l & I Communications provides ser vice betw een them (see map). ______________ AFFORDABLE D ENTISTRY PROFESSIONAL DENTAL SERVICE INCLUDES * I N t t n t Donini, • Cio«m • Oentuie» * Root C r . l * ’• f* 'r t jr M h • Bonong * MR*»» • EiHtchon» » R*eer, I Rem»» SPECIAL OFFER $19“ CHECK UP X-R A YS • E X A M C LEANING • D IA G N O S IS Limited Time Offe' STATE AID WELCOME NO ¿PPOWTAfENT NEEDED OFFICE HOURS: Mon-Frt. 9 a.m .-6 p m. 777-0761 1 block south of Powell B'vd EM ERGENCY A N S W E R IN G SERVICE 777 0761 > -A - .* * '• ’ - 4664 NE Union ..........264-6017 Sonia.......... Valeria........ 3612 NE 16th Ava. ............... 267 6616 Melvia. Manager Gloria ft Camilla • APPOINTMENTS DESIRED The examples below illustrate some typ ical prices for three-minute daytime station-to- station calls of varying distances: From To Ppice Salem Corvallis S 56 I’, h i I. iih I Eugene u p Eugeni' Bend 1.10 A si una Newport 1.10 Portland Medford 1.54 Pendleton Klamath Ealls 1.54 AT&T Discounts IT&T Long-Distance Prices Prices for AI & 1 Communications ing-distance calls within Oregon are the same s those in effect in the state prior to January 1, 984. with the exception of a three-cents-per- unute increase. These prices reflect payments □ the local telephone company which partially over the costs of the origination and termina- ion of our customers' calls. These wyments have increased the cost of iroviding long- distance services. \pproximately two-thirds of the noney we receive from customers his year will be paid to the local :elephone companies. Customer satisfaction is the fundamental goal of AT&T Communications. ( )ur profession ally trained staff and skilled long-distance operators will continue to serve you in the same helpful and courteous manner to whith you have been accustomed. We will continue to seek solu tions to provide you with the best service at the lowest possible prices. AT&T Com m unications looks forward to continuing to be what you call long distance, anyw here, any tim e. For further information, please call: Residence Customers: 1-800-2 2 2 -0 3 0 0 Business Customers: AT&T 3680S E M n d S l . P o rtl.n d Locatlona Technicians AT&T Provides Quality Service DR PHILIP MEGDAL. DOS • fengt Í AT&T Communications offers the same discounts for evening, night, weekend and holi day calls as before the break-up of the Bell System: • 25% from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Friday. • 50% from 11 p.m. to8a.m . daily. • 35% from 8a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The evening price applies on major holi days except when a lower price is in effect. DENTAL GROUP ▼ February?, 1984 4 Important Information for Long-Distance Customers in Oregon DR. PHILIP MEGDAL I SALON WALK-IN WELCOME 6600 N.E. Union 287 5330 234-2748 VARIETY II Margot E. Heutler is the cam paign director o f the Oregon Human SERVE Voter Registration Campaign. Buy. Sell or Trade ' Anything of value Modest prices 1 it» reopening of candidates to seek office; and the availability o f (hose candidates has spurred voting among those pre viously alienated from the political H ock Shop Will install rnetal screen for basement w indow T m L A T I? V o w T u rn o u t One reminder letter One telephone call One letter, two calls Safeguard Your Home W H Y W A IT r i i found that clients seldom picked up a voter registration form from a very prominently arranged display, but responded heavily to a volunteer urging them to register to vote. A p parently. people are willing to regis ter when the initiative comes from someone else. Remembering to vote is another example. Every political campaign knows special efforts are needed to turn out known supporters o f the candidate or issue. Project Vote!, a non-partisan, low-income voter reg istration coalition, experimented with different voter turnout activi ties in New Jersey and came up with the following results: minorities o f all races are rediscov ering the power o f the ballot box. The controversial presidential cam paign o f the Rev. Jesse Jackson serves the entire m inority comm u nity as a symbol o f discontent with the manner in which economic and social benefits have been distributed by and because o f the policies o f the Reagan administration. Jackson, in fact, says his purpose in seeking the Presidency is to change the nature o f national poli tics so it "w ill include the disaffect ed. those who have been denied in clusion in the process— Blacks, women. Hispanics. Native A m eri cans . . . . " W e may be witnessing a beneficial cause-and-effect mechanism in m i nority political behavior. The per ceived inequitable distribution o f social benefits has spurred minority Variety I Salon SPECIALIZING IN TOTAL HAIR CARE 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 2 2 - 0 1(H)