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Show Election study completed by LWV As a result of a nationwide survey, League of Women Voters Vot-ers Education Fund spokesman spokes-man stated that millions of Americans will be denied the right to vote in the1 1972 Presidential Pres-idential election. More than 3,000. members of the League of Women Voters conducted the study of election elec-tion officials and practices In 250 communities in 50 states during the fair election period of 1971. Cedar City's League was one of the participating organizations. Their findings document the need for widespread wide-spread administrative changes and pinpoints specific election practices which deter Citizens from either registering or voting. vot-ing. The data clearly suggests that local officials have in many instances failed to use the tools allowed by law to make registration and votins cal officials as well as to community com-munity citizens groups. Their recommendations include: in-clude: 1. That the chief election elec-tion official in each community commun-ity use his broad discretionary discretion-ary powers under current law to expand citizen opportunities to register and vote. 2. That the chief state election official offic-ial ensure uniform interpretation interpreta-tion and administration of state law by requiring local officials to comply with statewide state-wide standards. 3. That inden-tified inden-tified voters needs fee met through localized special services serv-ices such as: the use of temporary tem-porary and mobile registration units; expanded registration and polling hours; bilingual materials; mandatory training sessions for poll workers and maximum use of qualified deputy registrars. 4. That citizen citi-zen groups participate in selection se-lection of looal election mffip- communities had no additional addition-al registration hours available 30 days prior to the closing of registration. Other problem identified were long waiting lines; short office hours; Inconveniently In-conveniently located registration registra-tion and polling places;, and the frustration .of registration periods ending many weeks befor? election day. However, less than one-fourth of the local officials interviewed held that these ot other concerns were problems in their community. com-munity. The study also shows thart the behavior of registration staff was not helpful 52 of the time and became signifi-cantly signifi-cantly less helpful when citizens citi-zens were from lower income, working class, or minority groups. Thirty-two experts in the voting rights and election law fields served as an advisory committee to the League Education Ed-ucation Fund study. Based on the survey data, they developed develop-ed a series of recommendations recommenda-tions directed to state and lo- easier and more accessible for all citizens. For example, 52 of the 458 registration places dbserved were not clearly identified and 38 of the ials, monitor their decisions and actions and work for the specific administration reforms re-forms required in their com-muities. com-muities. The study also recommends that political parties, the mass media and educational institutions insti-tutions use their influence to create and maintain a responsive re-sponsive and responsible election elec-tion system as well as provide and encourage the flow of information in-formation to the puibldc on registration, re-gistration, voting and elections. elec-tions. Of the 251 communities studied: 58 were cities; 13 were suburbs and 29 were small towns or rural areas. |