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Watch the new fall lineup on TV, and you'd think young adults in America never had it better. In sitcoms and movies, in commercials and music videos, the world seems peopled by a single, incredibly telegenic demographic. The 18- to 34-year-olds whose images pervade our screens have picture-perfect faces, incredibly sculpted bodies, clothes to die for and all the material goods one could ever want. In the real world (not MTV's version), Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 earn lower incomes and are less likely to own their own homes than at any time in the past quarter century. Why is it that this seemingly enviable group has not been worse off in decades? Clearly, television's commercial culture operates on a radically different plane from the source of real change in this land--local politics. This is especially true here in the tri-county area, where 18- to 34-year-olds are less likely to be registered to vote--and far less likely to vote--than the rest of the adult population. Is it any surprise that our various governments--all run by elected officials--hand out such a disproportionate amount of the goodies to older, less needy segments of the population? (For more, see "9 out of 10 Young Voters...DON'T," WW, July 8, 1998.) This fall offers the chance to begin to reverse the calculus--to put younger adults back in charge of their futures through the leverage of concerted political action. X-PAC already has an impressive get-out-the-vote campaign in the works, but it won't make any difference if you haven't registered. It's never been easier to register. If you're 18 years old, an Oregon resident and a citizen of the United States, you qualify. (According to the Oregon Secretary of State's Office, in the tri-county area alone 80,000 of you are eligible to vote but have not registered.) Registration forms are available at public libraries, schools, post
office branches, banks and DMV field offices. You can download forms
from the secretary of state's Web site (www.sos.state.or.us). There's
even a voter registration form on page 99 of the government listing
(denoted by blue markings) in U.S. West's Yellow Pages. Photocopied
forms work, too. The deadline for registering is the 21st day before
the election. This year that means your form A couple of other notes: If you want to register as an independent, check the box that says, "Not a member of a party." Don't write in "Independent." Also, make sure to include your date of birth. Don't forget, this fall's election is not being conducted by mail. If you want to vote at home, you must request an absentee ballot. You can even fax in your request; in Multnomah County the number is 248-3719. Call your county's election offices for further details. Especially in these times, a good fall election is easily more rewarding than a week's worth of sitcoms.
originally published September 30, 1998
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