Voter registration mixup investigated

CUPID and ROTC officials are tracking down as many students as possible who worked at the ROTC voter registration booth this fall, trying to figure out what happened to at least 60 registration forms that may never have made it to the Voter Registration office. Major Clinton Miner, deputy director of the University's Army Reserve Officer's Training Corps, said Thursday that ROTC officials are talking to workers who staffed the table at CUPID, trying to find out when and if the registration forms were ever mailed. At least 60 students, and probably many more, who filled out registration forms at CUPID discovered that they were not on voter rolls for the November 6 elections. Sanders and CUPID Coordinator Bernie Maccolier said that hundreds of students registered at CUPID this fall. Some who lost their vote managed to get court orders allowing them to cast ballots Tuesday. For others, it was too late. Next fall, CUPID officials will "refine the process," Sanders said -- providing only the forms, which students can fill out and mail themselves. Sanders said he believes the mistake was made not at the University, but by either the postal service or at Voter Registration. "It's my belief that the problem probably existed at the other end of the spectrum and not at this end," he said. According to Bob Lee, an election finance document specialist, state law requires the Voter Registration office to mail confirmation of receipt of a registration application within 48 hours of its arrival at the office. Most of the students who discovered they were not on rolls had not received their confirmation. Sanders also pointed out that CUPID officials were not responsible for the registration forms. CUPID provided the space in Hutchinson Gymnasium for ROTC to run the booth. Students filled out voter applications or change of address forms, which ROTC workers sealed and placed in a box each day. Sanders said that a few ROTC staffers said they remember seeing CUPID workers take the boxes from the area, but do not know for certain that they were ever mailed. Miner said he did not know whether ROTC and CUPID officials had defined who was responsible for mailing the registrations. Students registered during several different days. Miner said he believes some of the registrations were mailed. Both officials said they regretted the mix-up, regardless of who is at fault. Miner called the mix-up a "shame." "I think it may have been designed as a team effort, and it might not have worked," he said. Sanders said that he empathizes with students who were unable to vote, but maintained he would not issue an apology before knowing the facts. Miner said that the investigation is not meant to determine "who shot John" -- who is at fault. He said he told ROTC workers that this is not a "witch hunt," and only an effort to figure out where the process failed so that mistakes will not be repeated next year. CUPID is run through the University Registrar's office.

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