BY: TONY ROMM

Already, the 12 million-strong college student voting bloc is turning some heads.

According to The Washington Times, some Virginia college students with state residency also received absentee voter ballots, creating the possibility for voter fraud in an important battleground state that was decided in 2006 by 367 votes.

Although Virginia authorities initially estimated the state mailed only 300 of these duplicate ballots, Republican leaders have called on the state’s election board to double-check the voting record to ensure no fraud was committed, the Times reported. In Virginia, voting twice is a felony, punishable for up to five years in prison.

Elsewhere, students have complained about access to the polls. According to The Nation’s Campaign ‘08 blog, the county registrar told students at Radford University, also in Virginia, that their dorm addresses were not substitutes for permanent addresses, rendering many students there ineligible to vote.

While the registrar added that students received notification of the address rule, many students countered that they received notification only after registration deadlines had passed — and that some had not received notifications at all, The Nation reported. In Virginia, however, state law permits dormitory addresses in lieu of permanent addresses on voter registration applications.

UPDATE (11:00 a.m.): There are scores of other, similar incidents occurring this morning in Virginia, but here’s another: The Washington Post is reporting that unknown hackers gained access to George Mason University’s massive e-mail listserv, impersonated the school’s provost and told students and faculty the election had been postponed until Nov. 5. School officials responded to the hoax e-mail immediately.

UPDATE (12:20 p.m.): The Eagle has obtained a copy of both the e-mail that hackers sent GMU students and the school’s official response. Both are courtesy of Eric Vitoff, a GMU student (after the jump).

The fake message:

To the Mason Community:

Please note that election day has been moved to November 5th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Peter N. Stearns
Provost

—

The university’s reaction:

Dear Colleagues,

It has come to my attention early this morning that a message was hacked into the system fraudulently stating that election day has been moved. I am sure everybody realizes this is a hoax, it is also a serious offense and we are looking into it. Please be reminded that election day is today, November 4th.

Peter N. Stearns
Provost

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