SC Dems use images of military draft in effort to sign up voters

[Nambe]

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)

A state Democratic Party effort to sign up new voters mixes images of a military draft notice with a voter registration form, calling on people to make a choice between the two.

The first page of the mailing shows a draft notice with orders to report to a military induction center. The next shows a helicopter with troops in the foreground beneath a headline that says ``Officials in Washington are calling for more troops in Iraq.'' Below, the mailing asks ``Which form would you rather fill out?'' ..

South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Joe Erwin said ``it's a powerful piece'' that is designed to grab the attention of potential voters.

``I can understand why they think it's despicable, but, sorry, we really do need to get potential voters' attention,'' he said, adding that the mailing strives to let people know that ``their vote impacts what our role in the war may be down the road.''

The Democratic Party is trying to recoup some of its losses in the 2002 elections that cost them the governor's mansion and a shot at replacing Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond with a Democrat. This year, the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Ernest ``Fritz'' Hollings is up for grabs and voters will have to fill every seat in the General Assembly.

A bill Hollings introduced before the Iraq war that calls for a draft has no co- sponsors and has gone nowhere. ..

[Zorra]

1. That is one really great idea, and Dems should adopt it nationally.

According to a recent Washington Post article, one out of every six voters is between 18 - 29 years of age, and a recent poll showed that among this age group, Kerry voters outnumbered Bu$h voters 2 to 1.

The very real possibility of a draft could be a very effective means of registering people in this age group to vote, and vote for Kerry.