Xbox LIVE Encourages Voter Registration

Adding to the conveniences of the new millennium - including Global Positioning Systems and liposuction - voter registration has just gotten easier too.

America has already taken steps to make voter registration accessible to everyone, especially through the Internet. Online, visitors can print out applications and even check the status of their registration. Aside from the Web, applicants can visit any library, post office or elections office to register as well.

But now, Xbox LIVE subscribers can use their console for registration after a partnership with Microsoft and political organization Rock the Vote was given breath.

Through the use of Xbox LIVE, a new audience is tapped. Utilizing Microsoft's gaming platform will allow Rock the Vote to reach an age group known for its apathetic attitude toward politics.

This initiative does not stop at registering voters. With the online service, Rock the Vote intends to host a forum for users to voice questions and concerns toward the candidates, as well as allow them to participate in polls and download public service announcements.

Because many users may not be well informed about the issues pivotal to the upcoming election, these features will facilitate important information to a younger potential voter.

But why bother reaching this audience of 12 million if their age group has already proved to be apathetic to voting in the first place?

Frankly, why not bother? I don't believe such an enterprise is a lost cause. To overlook 12 million people solely because they're considered gamers - and therefore, probably uninterested in politics - is ludicrous. According to an online press release, Rock the Vote notes that if Xbox LIVE subscribers were considered a state, it would be the seventh most populous in the country and would hold 20 electoral votes.

Does anyone remember the 2004 election, and how it came down to Ohio? The White House could have gone to John Kerry had he won over those final ballots. It is clear every vote counts, including those of younger populations.

I know some Xbox gamers do not plan on becoming informed about politics before November on their own, but if they have the opportunity to participate through a medium with which they are familiar, they are more likely to become interested - especially now, as young adults face daily challenges they cannot avoid. Nowadays, people hardly have the time to take a breather between multitasking, classes, work, paying bills and anything else the regular college student endures. I can understand if signing up for a voter registration card slips from a person's mind, even during an election year.

The Xbox grants some convenience to a potential voter. Rushing to an elections office before business hours could now be a thing of the past. Instead, people can come - or stay - home and register through their television screen, granted they own an Xbox 360 with an Xbox LIVE subscription.

Thinking about this monumental - and honestly, really cool - step for voting made me consider the practice of voting in the long run. It is obvious that the lifestyle we now face revolves around speed and convenience. When we want something, we want it now, and we can't slow down.

When was the last time you sat down at a desk and wrote a handwritten letter to a friend? Admit it: it's easier to simply pop open a laptop and write an e-mail. So why mail in a form (and remember, it could get lost en route) if you can pick up a remote, turn on your TV and have it submitted instantly?

Time is money. We pay for time because we desperately need it and it's only a matter of time until we can simply vote for future presidents from our homes.

We have already moved from paper ballots to the electronic booth as a means to vote. Such a measure would be another step toward additional convenience, following a trend we see today with evolving technology.