Thursday, September 16, 1982
Daily Nebraskan
Page 7
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Beermann urges students, peers to vote
Staff photo by Dave Bentz
Nebraska Secretary of State Allen
Beermann talked to students about
registering to vote in the Nebraska
Union Wednesday.
By Eric Peterson
Nebraska Secretary of State Allen
Beermann Wednesday explained voting and
elections in Nebraska in the Nebraska
Union. His appearance was sponsored by
ASUN's Government Liaison Committee,
the Nebraska State Student Association
and the UNL College Republicans.
Beermann said there are 1.3 million
potential voters in Nebraska, but only
850,000 of those are registered - and the
average election turnout is about 500,000.
The 3rd congressional district in western
Nebraska has by far the best voter partici
pation in the state, Beermann said.
Asking himself the hypothetical
question of what good does one vote do,
Beermann answered, "Do you know of
anyone that has two?"
He pointed out that many elections are
very close. Rep. Virginia Smith of the 3rd
Congressional district won her first election
by about one vote per county, Beermann
said, and he noted that many bond issue
ballots are very close as well.
"Don't tell me that you can't make a
difference," Beermann challenged.
Beermann said that if only 75 percent of
Nebraskan aged 18 to 21 would register
and vote, there could be a complete change
of power.
"If 75 percent voted, they could control
every election in the state of Nebraska,"
he said.
People have various reasons for not
voting, he said. He pointed out that some
people don't want to be on the public
record - because they don't want to be
picked for jury duty, or be caught receiving
welfare at two addresses, or be plagued
with bills or junk mail. Some people,
Beermann said, just don't care. Others
say it's difficult to vote.
Beermann took issue with the last
excuse. He noted the availability of
absentee ballots, disabled absentee ballots,
overseas ballots handled by special couriers
and special courier ballots that can be sent
to hospitals on election day. Beermann
emphasized that a U.S. Supreme Court
decision says that students can voe either
in their old precinct or at their college
address.
The state spends nearly $250,000
every election publishing sample ballots
so that people know the issues and candi
dates, Beermann said. "It's the only legal
crib note that I know of."
As secretary of state, one of Beermann's
responsibilites is making predictions of the
election turnout. He said most of his
predictions have been within 0.5 percent
accurate, and added that the half of a
percent accuracy is achieved by extrap-.
olating the turnout by the number of
people asking for absentee ballots and by
looking at the major races and issues.
Beermann said that Joe Swanson, a
Socialist Workers Party candidate for
governor, was disqualified to be on the
ballot because too many of his petition
signers weren't registered to vote.
Although about 3,700 signatures were
submitted and only 2,000 valid signatures
are required, Beermann said Swanson's
petitions totaled only about 1,800 valid
signatures. Most of the disqualified signers
weren't registered; a few signed twice
or illegibly, and some left off their address,
Beermann said.
Lobbying increased pending abortion legislation
With the abortion issue pertinent in two pieces of
legislation in the U.S. Senate, two UNL organizations
are stepping up their lobbying efforts both for and
against abortion.
UNL Students for Life president Sheila Cahill said
the anti-abortion legislation isn't exactly what her
organization is ultimately pulling for, but said group
members would take anything they can get.
"Our goal is the passage of the paramount human life
amendment. It's basically the same idea as the Helms
bill. It says that the right to life is guaranteed from the
moment of conception to the moment of natural death,"
Police Report
she said.
UNL Students for Reproductive Freedom president
Jan Deeds pointed out that her organization isn't in
favor of women having abortions, only that they be given
the right to decide for themselves.
"We are basically opposed to any legislation that
takes away a woman's control over her own body,"
she said.
The measures in the Senate concerning abortion are
the Hatch amendment and the Helms bill.
Keith Mueller, assistant professor of political science,
explained the process that is now taking place in the
Senate.
He said the Hatch amendment would do two things:
it would say that women do not have a constitutional
right to have an abortion and it would allow states to
make their own abortion laws.
"The more controversial legislation is the Helms
bill," he said. "It is actually an amendment to the debt
ceiling bill. The debt ceiling bill has to be passed by
the end of the month for the next fiscal year, but the
opposition to the abortion amendment has the bill in
a filibuster. Something is going to have to give soon,
either Sen. Jesse Helms will have to withdraw the amend
ment, or the debt ceiling bill will not be passed on time,"
The following is a list of the calls and complaints
recieved by police from 7 a.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wed
nesday. 8:56 a.m. - Purse theft from Teacher's College.
A suspect was arrested.
9:01 a.m. - Lost or stolen parking permit reported
from Area 21 at 10th and Vine streets.
1:10 p.m. - Cas stolen from car parked in Area 1
at 17th and R streets.
4: 13 p.m. Bicycle stolen north of Pound Hall.
4:20 p.m. - Book bag stolen from the Nebraska
Bookstore at 12th and R streets.
4:47 p.m. - Car struck while parked at Area 16.
6: 15 p.m. - Person was arrested at 19th and O streets.
The person had several warrants out for his arrest.
9'37 p.m. - Car parked in the Nebraska Union metered
lot was struck by another car.
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488-5990
