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)