cannabisnews.com: Young Voter Turnout Lower Than Expected
Young Voter Turnout Lower Than Expected
Posted by CN Staff on November 04, 2002 at 07:52:19 PT
By Ryan Pearson, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Teenagers with spiked, green-dyed hair visited Clark County Registrar Larry Lomax's office last summer and grabbed handfuls of voter registration forms to sign up their friends. Marijuana was officially on the Nevada ballot. Lomax prepared his office for a rush of other young, new voters, expecting Question 9 -- legalizing possession of up to 3 ounces of pot -- to spur a flurry of political action from teens and 20-somethings. It never came.
"A lot of people had thought that this was going to bring out a certain kind of voter," Lomax said. "It really hasn't come to pass." Aside from an e-mail sent to some 2,000 attendees of the Burning Man counterculture festival in northern Nevada, there have been few efforts to organize young people on the issue. Turnout for early voting was down among young people in Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County. Recent figures showed about 12 percent of early voters were younger than 35, compared with 16 percent in the 2000 general election. Meanwhile, people 55 and older -- targeted by opponents of the measure -- cast roughly half the early ballots in the county, compared with 42 percent two years ago. Question 9 backers trying to put a positive spin on the numbers say they targeted first-time voters, not necessarily young people, in their $1.7 million campaign. "Our supporters range in age from 18 to as high as it goes," said Billy Rogers, who heads Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement. Groups pushing marijuana initiatives in other states say middle-aged voters -- children of the freewheeling 1960s -- have been key to their past success. "There's a U-shaped curve in which the very young and the very old take the more conservative positions," said Bill Zimmerman of Campaign for New Drug Policies, a Washington-based group that favors the Nevada measure. Zimmerman said older voters are comfortable with current law and less likely to have tried marijuana. He says people from 18 to 30 "have not yet really examined the public policy ramifications of current drug laws, and have a more knee-jerk reaction." Erin Breen, battling the measure through a public safety group called Safe Communities, said: "I think that kids reflect their parents' beliefs more than we think." Nevadans Against Legalized Marijuana, a coalition of law enforcement and anti-drunken driving groups, targeted elderly groups. About half of the 100,000 fliers the group distributed went to retirees and seniors, spokeswoman Sandy Heverly said. "They're more likely to vote, and given the wisdom that they have, we knew they would be able too see how ludicrous this initiative is," Heverly said. Question 9 is the boldest of several state marijuana initiatives being considered by voters Tuesday. It would allow people older than 21 to have and smoke marijuana in their homes but not in public places or cars. Pot would be sold in state-licensed smoke shops and taxed like cigarettes. Whether it could take effect is unclear. Voters would have to approve the measure again in 2004 to amend the state constitution. State lawmakers would then craft regulations on the growth, sale, and taxation of the herb. But federal law bans marijuana possession. Polls show support for the measure had been slipping since summer, and it now appears headed for defeat. John Boyle of Las Vegas said he would vote against the measure because he was not interested in experimenting with marijuana. "Never have been," the 71-year-old grandfather said. "In the neighborhood I grew up in -- the South Bronx -- drugs were unheard of." Campaign leaders on both sides say voters will likely draw on any personal experiences when casting their ballots, and those younger than 26 are far more likely to have tried marijuana. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that, by the time they complete high school, 47 percent of teenagers have smoked marijuana. Las Vegas resident Willie Haddock, 20, used a speech class assignment to urge his classmates to vote against the measure. "I smoked marijuana before and I drive horrible," said Haddock, a student at Community College of Southern Nevada. "If they legalize it, there are just going to be people driving all crazy." Haddock, reclining on a couch inside a packed student lounge, said he didn't think the law would shut down the drug dealers he sees on campus. His friend Joseph Mapendan, 20, said he had also tried marijuana "but it wasn't hurting anybody. I'll vote for it." Complete Title: Young Voter Turnout Lower Than Expected with Pot on Nevada Ballot Source: Associated Press Author: Ryan Pearson, Associated Press WriterPublished: Monday, November 4, 2002Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:NRLEhttp://www.nrle.org/Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Nevadans to Consider Legalizing Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14655.shtmlQuestion 9 Opponents Feel Shortchanged http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14635.shtmlLocal View: Reefer Madness Strikes Againhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14624.shtml
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Comment #23 posted by goneposthole on November 05, 2002 at 07:03:41 PT
how to achieve massive voter turnout
hand out free medical cannabis.
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Comment #22 posted by BGreen on November 05, 2002 at 04:14:08 PT
Regardless of the outcome at the polls today
we've already won a tremendous battle.In the 27 years I've partaken the kind bud, I've NEVER seen this kind of discussion and debate going on. And as filled with venom and lies as it was from the prohibitionist front, it's the first time we've been able to speak out, and that in itself is a major victory.On top of all that, there's no way in heaven or hell we're ever going to be silenced again.We've got the prohibitionists running around saying we're a more powerful force than the 65 years of propaganda and the $100 billion plus our gov't has spent in the battle against us and our cannabis.We have to keep this battle raging. WE MUST NEVER ALLOW THE GOV'T TO REMOVE OUR RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT CANNABIS AGAIN!God bless you all, and thanks to everybody who's put in volunteer time and donated funds to help free our plant and ourselves.Bud Green
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Comment #21 posted by DANA on November 05, 2002 at 02:10:57 PT
...low voter turnout....I wonder why?..
....I'm gonna have to go back to the grocery store,and pick up some more material to convert into BARF!...I turned on the TV earlier,and did the usual power barfing over election related ads,,,but I'm down to the dry heaves now!..I think that the ads that really made me gag up the last gack of digestive fluids,are the ones that portray the canidate and his family,,smiling and having fun in their back yard,or running through a meadow,having a grand 'family' time..........and....it's lucky that I didnt eat,because it would have been a waste of grocerys! the commercials for the governers here in California,would have caused me to broadcast a new brand of projectile dispersion ralphing....We got Gray Davis,the incumbant,and Bill Simon,the republican challenger...Both of these assholes are saturating the airwaves with commercials that are obviously produced by the same ilk of campaign advisors.,,,,and the barfer is,when the both harp on "schools"!...Gimme a freekin' break!,,All it would take to make the schools better,in the state,and nationally,,is MONEY!!!!....it's not that unsolvable of a problem...How bout if they could take one or maybe two billion from the HUNDREDS of BILLIONS that have been so easily procured for "defense",and disperse the money among the states,for schools?...let's see...I think that one billion,divided by fifty,is 200 MILLION..per state...perhaps that might help give teachers a salary that at least was a bit better than a trash truck driver!.......There is no excuse for the grotesque political insanity nowdays!...When the only incentive to vote,is to make sure that the "lesser of two assholes" gets elected,then we know that our democracy has crumbled....furthermore, the only other thing that inspires people like me,(and I hope you),to vote,is initiatives that are launched by grassroots efforts,and appear on the ballot...This is the last smidgen of a way that We the Sheeple,can be heard,,,but,,I got a spooky feeling,that in the next few years,we will see the empire attempt to adjust the initiative process in the states,and make it so it will be too expensive for anyone other than corporate entities to get an issue on the ballot.(it almost already is.)..I think there was an article posted here recently,that mentioned the 'evils' of voter initiatives......well,,I gotta go before I start cussing and wandering further into the chasms of offtopicness .[*in fact, after reviewing this post,,stop reading now if you dont like off topic type stuff,,come to think of it,,stop reading all my posts if you are easily annoyed by offtopicness]........... I dont mean to keep kicking the dead horse of this profanity thing again and again,, ,but I wanted to mention two things.......First,,I hope "asshole",is OK...look at it this way;,"ass",is acceptable,,and the addition of "hole",to the word is not that much more of a shock....and this relates to the second thing ,,I noticed , and liked a point DdC made in a recent comment,,where "f***",was used,I think,"f******",was even used,and DdC pointed out the strange truth,,,that in a certain way,,it seems somehow quite bizzarre that such words need to be masked,when their meaning and intent is obvious.....It kinda makes me wonder about what kind of prude,priggish wuss,would be offended or shocked to be exposed to the word?..I consider the word to be a part of the english language of today....I pity the milquetoast dweeb who is disturbed by having to be exposed to reading it in a post.....I think that the only way I agree with the limitations on words,,is in the consideration of upholding the respectable nature of this forum,,and perhaps to filter out the foulmouth riff-raff who may venture into commenting here....It may also be worth mentioning,that context,and intent,both have alot to do with evaluating matters of profanity Once again,,,I have no problem with the way things are here now...My comments are mere observations...Not critiques. ..One more thing,,,I have often thought of perhaps trying to find alternatives for the "f" word.,,so I decided to think of words that were similar in meaning to the "f" word.,,,but other words just dont really work...I cant imagine giving someone the finger,and saying;"intercourse you!"...or;.."I'm really copulating pissed off!"....
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Comment #20 posted by Had Enough on November 05, 2002 at 00:22:20 PT
Horrible People Driving Crazy
"I smoked marijuana before and I drive horrible," said Haddock, a student at Community College of Southern Nevada.Well he admits he is a horrible driver. If he drives so horrible, maybe he should take a driver improvement course, or turn in his drivers license, or something."If they legalize it, there are just going to be people driving all crazy."People that make statements like this, “drives sane people all crazy"This student should read the Stop Prison Rape handout, http://www.spr.org then speak to his speech class about crazy things!!! Question 960% + yesVOTE VOTE VOTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nevada is taking a big step for man, and huge, gigantic leaps, bounds, cartwheels, jumping-jacks, summer-saults, and Hoola-Hoops for mankind.Powerful allies can be found at these links. http://www.nrle.org http://www.leap.cc/
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Comment #19 posted by Toad on November 04, 2002 at 19:59:02 PT
Sexy Stacey
Young males being targeted by the Stacey anti-drug ad will only fantasize about having a hot girlfriend who smokes weed. This ad clearly glamorizes pot smoking as sexy, rebellious behavior.
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Comment #18 posted by afterburner on November 04, 2002 at 19:53:28 PT:
WE THE PEOPLE, purple-haired young or not!
Expecting the supporters of legal cannabis to be all purple-haired young people is part of the prejudice against cannabis, as if Cheech and Chong were the only pot smokers and everyone else is a clone. Please, haven't we shown through the medical hospices that there is no upper age barrier to the healing uses of this wonderful God-given plant. WE THE PEOPLE may just surprise Nevada and the nation tomorrow. If I am not for myself, who will be for me. If I am for myself only, what am I. If not now, when? -from the Talmud.
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Comment #17 posted by DANA on November 04, 2002 at 19:28:07 PT
....side effects may include....
..Patrick mentioned the purple pill for heartburn commercials.....Has anyone seen the full on sposored info-mercials for anxiety drugs?The ads dont mention any drugs by name,,,the ads are from some anxiety care center ,and it is obviously a puppet show brought to you by the makers of paxil,,etc.....I always like the ads for Ambien,which is a sleeping pill... Side effects drowsiness, diarrhea, and nosebleeds............So there you are,all stressed out about work the next day,,,you are supposed to get there at 7:00 the next morning for an important meeting.,and you cant get to sleep,,so you pop down a couple of hits of Ambien....and you finally get to sleep.........the next thing you know,,you wake up at 8:15,,in a pool of hot diarrhea with a bloody nose....I always think about running my own ad concerning commercials like that Stacy commercial.........it would show a normal TV ,and it would say;"This is your TV"Then it would show an exploded TV sparking and smoking,and it would say;"This is your TV after an anti-drug commercial".
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on November 04, 2002 at 17:50:53 PT
Tomorrow Will Tell
Hi Everyone, The tension is very thick tonight for me. I have been thinking about all the news and all the positive and negative articles we've read over the last few months. On the Abrams Report on MSNBC they talked about the Nevada Initiative but it was so chopped up that none of it made much sense. I've watched news almost all day and it is really something to see the waste of air time on topics that just aren't important. I hope we win tomorrow. I hope Issue 1 passes and Taft doesn't win. If Nevada wins tomorrow I want to know why they threw out negative polls. We will know by late tomorrow night. I hope all the Inititatives and measures pass. I hope we will have much to be thankful for tomorrow night. I know I appreciate the efforts of all those who have worked so hard to bring Question 9 to the people.delariand thank you for showing how the Stacey commercial can have benefits.
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Comment #15 posted by Number 7 on November 04, 2002 at 17:21:00 PT
in 28 hours we will know
You were right canaman, I did almost hurl...It figures that I can get that bit of propaganda to play but I can't get anything from pottv to play. I must laugh though because it is the only thing that keeps me sane in these days of insanity.I hate to put more pressure on the voters of Nevada but..we are all counting on you to be the pebble in the avalanche
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Comment #14 posted by Patrick on November 04, 2002 at 17:07:09 PT
The purple pill ad on TV/CNN.
Nexum the purple pill for heartburn! Side effects are headaches, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.Cannabis the green herb for pain relief and spiritual insight. Side effects under prohibition are jail, handcuffs, and prison rape.A Drug Free America? What a joke. Vote DEAth out of business.
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Comment #13 posted by canaman on November 04, 2002 at 16:51:33 PT
The propaganga that your tax dollars bought
If anybody hasn't seen the T.V. ad FoM and delariand mentioned they are at:http://www.mediacampaign.org/mg/television.htmlThe Stacey clip will play on WindowsMediaPlayer just click MPG on Stacy. Most all the antisomedrugs.con clips are on this page.Warning: Do NOT watch on a full stomach or if you have a weak heart.
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Comment #12 posted by Had Enough on November 04, 2002 at 16:43:51 PT
Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9
Complete Title: Young Voter Turnout Lower Than Expected with Pot on Nevada BallotJust a simple reminder to WE THE PEOPLE that it’s not even Election Day yet, but here comes headlines like this as if WE THE PEOPLE have already been heard, and don’t bother to vote, don't even try to.A tip of the hat to Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, and all others for their unselfish efforts here. Many thanks. I’m sure others feel this way too.VOTE VOTE VOTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nevada is taking a big step for man, and huge, gigantic leaps, bounds, cartwheels, jumping-jacks, and summer-saults for mankind.Powerful allies can be found at these links.http://www.nrle.orghttp://www.leap.cc/
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Comment #11 posted by Had Enough on November 04, 2002 at 16:13:18 PT
No 9 No 9 No 9 No 9 No 9 No 9
Nevada Question 9Yes 60% +And don’t forget to,VOTE VOTE VOTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nevada is taking a big step for man, and huge, gigantic leaps, bounds, cartwheels, jumping-jacks, and summer-saults for mankind.As you know, I’ve Had Enough, and lately it appears to me other people have too.
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Comment #10 posted by delariand on November 04, 2002 at 15:56:10 PT
Stacey commercial isn't all bad FoM :)
It came on the other night while I was at my parent's house watching TV with them (I'm 18 but live on my own, they know I smoke but don't approve). As the narrator was showing us the dimebag that stacey bought, I said "And this is the Propaganda the government made". My mom tried to tell me it wasn't propoganda, but it only took three sentences on my part to get her to admit the problem of drug crime is solely due to drug prohibition. Hopefully the same scene is being re-enacted all across the country!Chipping away at the walls with my rock hammer :)
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on November 04, 2002 at 14:03:54 PT
It's All Fishy to Me!
If they play that Stacey commercial one more time I think I will lose my cool and scream! ENOUGH!There I feel better.
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Comment #8 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on November 04, 2002 at 13:35:14 PT
Something fishy
--"I smoked marijuana before and I drive horrible," said Haddock, a student at Community College of Southern Nevada. "If they legalize it, there are just going to be people driving all crazy."-- Not only is the rule NO DRIVING WHILE HIGH under Q9, but this guy's only 20 years old! Not old enough to buy cannabis if Q9 was already law!! That's like a minor saying "I've driven drunk, and poorly; thus we should outlaw alcohol."
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Comment #7 posted by DdC on November 04, 2002 at 13:02:41 PT
POT EVOKES PARANOIA, HYPOCRICY
Date: Sun, 03 Nov 2002 10:01:12 -0800
From: "D. Paul Stanford" CommentaryPOT EVOKES PARANOIA, HYPOCRICYWhen l7 political parties make it on the state ballot, we'll have ballot reform, swiftly, because that's when one of the major parties will have to start sharing space.Until then, people like William Bombard, the local Libertarian Party candidate for state Assembly, will have to put up with sharing their ballot line. On Tuesday, the Libertarians are sharing with the Marijuana Reform Party.Mr. Bombard is unhappy about this. He thinks the ballot layout makes it look like he's representing the Marijuana Reform Party. It does look that way and, as Mr. Bombard hastened to tell The Post-Star recently, he doesn't think pot should be legal.So Mr. Bombard is right. It's confusing and unfair to make minor party candidates share ballot space.But when it comes to marijuana, Mr. Bombard is wrong.Marijuana should be legal for medical use. And we should stop filling our prisons with people who have done nothing more than use a drug less potent than alcohol.We're a nation of hypocrites when it comes to drugs, tolerant of filling ourselves and our children full of mood-altering substances like Valium and Ritalin but paranoid about marijuana.Mr. Bombard is upset, not because he has to share his box on the ballot, but because he has to share it with the word "marijuana."Thomas Golisano thinks marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. So does Carl McCall. So do the thousands of people with terminal illnesses who have testified that marijuana -- more than any other drug they've tried -- helps relieve their pain and ease their nausea.But all across the country, powerful politicians who have received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from drug companies have kept marijuana illegal. George Pataki is one of those politicians.Mr. Pataki has admitted being so fond of pot when he was a young adult that he used to cook it up with baked beans. Nevertheless, he wants New York to keep imprisoning people on pot charges, and he wants to keep marijuana away from the terminally ill.He and other politicians like him have forced very sick people, and members of their families, to commit crimes to relieve their symptoms.Imagine your husband or your wife had cancer and it turned out that smoking pot worked better than anything else to ease their pain. Would you cook them up a baked bean Pataki special? Or would you obey the law and let them suffer?That's a much harder choice than anyone is going to have to make on Election Day. That's a choice we should not be forcing anyone to make, on any day.
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Comment #6 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 04, 2002 at 13:01:14 PT
Effective brain washing or propaganda
Long after WWII many Germans still believed in the propaganda they were fed during the war.I expect that long after prohibition ends the American people will still be voicing "Just say no" propaganda lines.
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Comment #5 posted by p4me on November 04, 2002 at 12:49:57 PT
The answer is question 9
It won't be long now to see if we have unbrainwashed some of those people in Nevada. One thing about it, all the papers had a chance to show their nature by their coverage of the issue. I hope the fascist loving papers see a decrease in sales in response to their support of the murderous prohibitionist. I hope that some people have come to see that there are big problems with the press and our institutions as a result of the debate over Question 9. Their really are systemic problems that have to be addressed with the political system here in the Corporate States of America.Well, we should be celebrating tomorrow and let's jump back on the issue of Hutchinson violating the law using taxpayer money to infuence elections. Let's prosecute this guy. He is a criminal not fit for office.Prohibition kills. Prohibitionist are murderers and destroyers of the environment. Goddamn the prohibitionist and twice if they are Republican.1
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 04, 2002 at 12:26:06 PT
KLAS -TV Video
Marriage, Marijuana Proposals Are Big Draws for Voters
More than 869,000 voters have already cast ballots through early voting or absentee ballots. Another 25 percent of registered voters are expected to vote Tuesday. Election officials predict the total turnout will be just under 50 percent. They say that's good considering there's not a presidential race or a close governor race. http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=998336&nav=168XCB1k
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Comment #3 posted by krutch on November 04, 2002 at 11:11:51 PT:
Haddock is a Gifted Speaker
"I smoked marijuana before and I drive horrible," One has to wonder if there is a cause and effect relationship or if these two statements can stand by themselves.If he drives horribly, MJ was not going to improve his skills.On a serious note, MJ does not degrade driving skill nearly as much as legal alcohol does. Nobody is proposing legalizing driving high. This issue is a red herring. The real issue is cognitive freedom. The government should be too busy putting criminals away to bother an MJ smoker.
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Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on November 04, 2002 at 09:55:17 PT
given the wisdom that they have
between the lines interpretation: We have a brainwashed geriatric crowd that will go along with whatever we say. They drink, gamble, and, God forbid,
may visit a prostitute, and that is enough for them. They would never partake in cannabis use. They know better than that. A bottle of Geritol comes in handy, now and then.
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on November 04, 2002 at 09:49:51 PT
The birth of an anti
Las Vegas resident Willie Haddock, 20, used a speech class assignment to urge his classmates to vote against the measure. "I smoked marijuana before and I drive horrible," said Haddock, a student at Community College of Southern Nevada. "If they legalize it, there are just going to be people driving all crazy." If slippery Willie works hard enough and reads plenty of propaganda, he could have the drug czar's job too.
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