2008 Woodie Awards
Temko advocates for student voting rights
Anna Cramer
Issue date: 9/30/08 Section: News
With the presidential election quickly approaching, Newark Councilman Ezra Temko is attempting to get clarification about student voting rights.
Over the summer, Temko wrote to Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden asking him to issue an opinion on whether university students who come from another state can register to vote in Newark elections.
Temko said the issue first arose in 2004 when then-Attorney General Jane Brady ruled students should be able to register in Delaware if they are willing to declare and prove Delaware is their primary home. She provided a list of acceptable documents to prove residency in Delaware, including a driver's license, utility bill or bank statement.
Temko said Brady's ruling still leaves confusion and the documents required to prove residency are difficult for students who live in residence halls to obtain.
In July, Temko introduced a motion in Council that would direct City Solicitor Roger Akin to send Biden a letter asking for clarification. Temko said he found a general sense of approval without the need for a vote.
Along with questioning the need for more than one document, Temko said the letter asked Biden if student identification cards could be used as a source to prove both address and identification.
Temko said he received a response from Deputy Attorney General Ann Woolfolk in the beginning of September. The opinion outlines the same procedures and guidelines from the 2004 letter, stating that while students must still declare their home in Delaware, one document of choice from the provided list may now stand alone.
Temko said it is now acceptable that a business or government document addressed to a Delaware address will confirm both a student's identification and address.
"Examples may include a letter from the Sierra Club or from the university itself," he said.
State Commissioner of Elections Elaine Manlove, said her main concern is for students planning on registering in Delaware for upcoming elections.
Over the summer, Temko wrote to Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden asking him to issue an opinion on whether university students who come from another state can register to vote in Newark elections.
Temko said the issue first arose in 2004 when then-Attorney General Jane Brady ruled students should be able to register in Delaware if they are willing to declare and prove Delaware is their primary home. She provided a list of acceptable documents to prove residency in Delaware, including a driver's license, utility bill or bank statement.
Temko said Brady's ruling still leaves confusion and the documents required to prove residency are difficult for students who live in residence halls to obtain.
In July, Temko introduced a motion in Council that would direct City Solicitor Roger Akin to send Biden a letter asking for clarification. Temko said he found a general sense of approval without the need for a vote.
Along with questioning the need for more than one document, Temko said the letter asked Biden if student identification cards could be used as a source to prove both address and identification.
Temko said he received a response from Deputy Attorney General Ann Woolfolk in the beginning of September. The opinion outlines the same procedures and guidelines from the 2004 letter, stating that while students must still declare their home in Delaware, one document of choice from the provided list may now stand alone.
Temko said it is now acceptable that a business or government document addressed to a Delaware address will confirm both a student's identification and address.
"Examples may include a letter from the Sierra Club or from the university itself," he said.
State Commissioner of Elections Elaine Manlove, said her main concern is for students planning on registering in Delaware for upcoming elections.
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