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)