A student at American University explains in The Eagle why he’s registered to vote in D.C.:

Why would students want to change their voter registrations to D.C.? The 2010 elections were, after all, some of the most significant Congressional midterm elections in recent years — except for here in the District, which doesn’t have any voting representation in Congress.

Why would Republican students want to vote in one of the most Democratic cities in the country? How hard would it be for students to switch their registration back to their hometowns later on?

Well, I was one of the few hundred students who switched my registration to D.C. last year, and I haven’t switched back since. As AU students, we live here for at least two-thirds of the year, so we are affected by the decisions of D.C.’s elected officials as much as, if not more than, those of our elected officials back home.

Whether it’s deciding on the approval of campus plans or setting policies for welfare and education in the city, the decisions made in the D.C. government have a significant impact on us as college students.

Like most of my classmates, I didn’t buy this argument when I was in school at Howard. I recall someone who was trying to register me in D.C. that “you vote where you live” but I didn’t want to lose any ties to my California hometown. Funny enough, I ended up only spending about five months at home over the next four years. Ah, shortsightedness of youth!