Seriously?

So in Criminal Procedure this morning we were talking about people pleading to crimes and the problems when they often don't understand/aren't told the right they are waiving by doing this (right to a jury trial, confront your accusing, present witnessing in your defense, that kind of thing...) Someone brings up voting-- how if you plead to a felony, in some places, you're giving up your right to vote and isn't that also something someone should be aware of beforehand? So the professor asks the class, "Who thinks losing the right to vote is something a defendant should be aware of when making their decision?" Obviously, I think, everyone raises their hands. Then he asks, "who here votes?" And nearly everyone kept their hands up. And he really seemed shocked. "Really?" Should this be surprising? No, not at all. One should expect a room full of law students to vote. But his reaction made it seem like in his experience, they don't. Anyway, struck me a bizarre.

VOTE! Wisconsin has non-partisan elections coming up (scheduled over the University's spring break... which seems fishy to me...) and so I voted absentee the other day. My decisions may have been poorly informed (I did rely on a conversation about school board candidates I overheard on the bus... but....) I voted. But just once this time.