5 Feet of Fury

Bring back those voter literacy tests

Vanessa Curiel, 19, was studying the voter form reluctantly. She was trying to figure out which box to check for political party affiliation.

“Republican, that’s McCain,” Ramos explained. “Democrat is Obama.”

“Obama?” Curiel said. “What’s that?”

“The guy that’s running for president,” Ramos said.

“Oh, OK,” Curiel said, checking the Democrat box.

Curiel said voting was not something she thought about much, and she probably would not have registered if she hadn’t been asked.

“I want to vote for president. Maybe this president will make it better. Things are pretty bad right now.”