My grandmother immigrated to this country when she was 14 years old. She learned English and became a citizen early on. When my mother was 11, my grandmother took her to Washington, D.C., to observe the U.S. Congress in action. This experience so impressed my mother that she, the first to attend college in her family, became a social studies teacher, giving lessons of civics and government to youngsters.
I did not know this story until later in life, but I certainly did see my mother’s passion for the political process, as she followed the nightly news and found all sorts of ironing to be done (so she could have an excuse to watch TV) during news-breaking events like the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954.
So my assignment as voter registration committee chairman for the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut came easily. In the past and during this year, helping voters to register has been a rewarding experience.
Years ago, we used to go door to door with clipboards of voter registration forms. I remember knocking at a door of an apartment in Groton and hearing, “Wait a minute,” from somewhere inside. Much to my amazement, when the door opened, a man, dripping wet, wrapped only in a towel, stood before me. He was happy to fill out the voter registration. Another time I was invited inside a home to sit around the kitchen table and have coffee while family members appreciatively registered to vote.
This year about 15 volunteers from the local League have helped to register close to 200 voters in locations from Norwich to Waterford. Each voter registration event provided inspirational stories.
A 90-year-old resident of Stone Ridge in Stonington volunteered to register voters at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London. She has been a League member for many years but never helped with voter registration and wanted to see what it was all about.
As we entered the building and were greeted by valet parkers, the woman asked them if they were registered to vote. One of the young men was interested but the other said that his vote didn’t matter and that he was not going to vote. Well! My friend would not accept that answer. She provided him with an enthusiastic history of voting rights and wars fought for his right to vote, and she almost (sorry to say she didn’t) convinced him to register.
We had the highest numbers of new voters register at the Avery Point Campus of University of Connecticut just a week before the deadline. I was entertained by the energy of a pre-law student from Noank who was a pro at buttonholing every single person who walked by. If they weren’t registered to vote before they passed her, believe me, they were by the end of the stroll past our table. Of course it didn’t hurt that UConn was providing delicious ice cream from the Storrs farm. I will not be surprised to see our activist student’s name on the ballot in the future.
An emotional registration event was held at a “teach-in” at Three Rivers Community College. About 100 students filled the room and were given the opportunity to talk about issues in the upcoming election. The students spoke passionately about support for education, military service, making your vote count, and other issues. By far, the most popular topic of the night was health care. I was particularly touched by a first-time voter who eloquently made the case for changes to the health care system so she would be better able to care for her ailing mother.
I hope that those who registered and all of us remember that our vote, while important in the recent presidential election, is needed in every election. See you at the polls.
By Irene Weiss
Special to the Times
Irene Weiss heads the voter registration committee for the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut, a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League is open to men and women and works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.