Most say their vote has a price
Lily Quateman
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: News
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That's what NYU students said they'd take in exchange for their right to vote in the next presidential election, a recent survey by an NYU journalism class found.
Only 20 percent said they'd exchange their vote for an iPod touch. But 66 percent said they'd forfeit their vote for a free ride to NYU. And half said they'd give up the right to vote forever for $1 million.
But, they also overwhelmingly lauded the importance of voting. Ninety percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for the money also said they consider voting "very important" or "somewhat important"; only 10 percent said it was "not important." Also, 70.5 percent said they believe that one vote can make a difference - including 70 percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for free tuition.
The class - "Foundations of Journalism," taught by journalism department chairwoman Brooke Kroeger - polled more than 3,000 undergraduates between Oct. 24 and 26 to assess student attitudes toward voting.
"The part that I find amazing is that so many folks think one vote can make a difference," Dalton Conley, sociology department chairman, said. He added, "If we take them at their word, then perhaps they really think votes matter, and that's why someone might pay a year's tuition to buy theirs."
Sixty percent of the students who said they'd give up their vote for tuition also described their families' income as upper middle or high.
Their reasons for giving up their vote varied.
"At the moment, no candidate who truly represents my political beliefs has a chance of winning a presidential election," one male junior studying film and television at the Tisch School of the Arts wrote on the survey.
"It is very easy to convince myself that my vote is not essential," wrote a female CAS sophomore. "After all, I'm from New York, which will always be a Blue State."
Other students wrote that they were disgusted by the thought.
"I would be reversing history - a lot of people fought so that every citizen could be enfranchised," said a female in her second year at the Stern School of Business.
One CAS junior went even further, writing that "anyone who'd sell his lifelong right to vote should be deported."
Lily Quateman is a contributing writer and is in the "Foundations of Journalism" class that conducted the survey. E-mail her at news@nyunews.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 21
Wes
posted 11/14/07 @ 6:01 PM EST
So, let me get this straight. The segment of the population who by a wide margin are the least likely to vote would be willing not to vote if they got paid?
Does the Dictionary of Popular Phrases have a link to this article next to its "stating the obvious" entry?
BSA
posted 11/14/07 @ 6:57 PM EST
We made the Drudgereport ...
Check it out:
drudgereport.com
of course, the headline makes us look worse than we are:
"NYU STUDENTS WOULD GIVE UP RIGHT TO VOTE: FOR IPOD TOUCH"
not really - only 20% of us. (Continued…)
nt
posted 11/14/07 @ 10:19 PM EST
is it wrong that "giving up my vote" is on my list of things I would do for a Klondike bar?
mmmmmmm..unpatriotic.
Mark
posted 11/15/07 @ 5:29 PM EST
So here's a question. Is it perfectly OK then if your elected representative went ahead and sold his/her vote as well? Or would we condemn that person?
John
posted 11/16/07 @ 12:40 PM EST
Everyone has a price. For some its an ipod, for others its $1 Million. To the person who said "I would be reversing history - a lot of people fought so that every citizen could be enfranchised," offer her $10 Million and I bet she would give up that right to vote in a heartbeat. (Continued…)
Mani
posted 11/16/07 @ 1:10 PM EST
Man, I'm glad I have as little to do with this school as I can afford. That said-
A few qualifying factors I'd be curious to know if the study included:
- Of those who did not feel voting was "not important," how many elections (that have transpired between now and their 18th birthday) have they voted in?
- When did they register to vote? How many elections to date have they been eligible to vote in?
- How many of those polled felt that their vote "wouldn't matter" because New York is a "blue state"?
- How many of those polled are eligible to vote in their home state?
- How many of those polled hail from a state identified as a "swing state" in the 2000 or 2004 elections?
- How many of those polled are legal residents of New York State and thus eligible to vote in it?
- The kicker: Cross reference the above question with the others - How many of those polled accurately know "where" they are eligible to vote?
edward
posted 11/23/07 @ 1:39 PM EST
Take a look at this summary article speaking about the issue of vote fraud in the United States. It includes a full video clip of the documentary Votergate which can be viewed as a full-screen Quicktime, as well as audio interviews with activists Bev Harris and Vicki Karp. (Continued…)
anonymous coward
posted 11/27/07 @ 3:09 PM EST
Was the question would they give up their vote (i.e. just not have the right to vote) or sell their vote to someone else (that is, vote as directed by the person giving them the iPod or money)?
Raoul
posted 11/27/07 @ 6:41 PM EST
If someone offered me a million smackeroos I'd also throw in my house with my vote. I don't know what the fuss is all about since our votes are worthless anyway. (Continued…)
SALLY YORK
posted 11/27/07 @ 6:41 PM EST
Who is to blame for this apathy? Schools quit teaching history, parents quit making kids register and then go vote, political parties all have made the act of voting a nothing act and the politicians have lost all crediablity in fact most people believe that all politicians are crooked so why vote another crook in. (Continued…)
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