It's easy to vote. But for college students, it could be easier. Unless the numbers outside your front door are identical to the address on your driver's license, you're the victim of a voting obstacle.

A raw perspective on civic duty would tell us to vote where we live and live where we vote. A refined point of view was introduced four years ago in the form of the Motor Voter Act, a piece of legislation that required Michigan citizens to vote according to the address on their driver's license.

Take a look at your license. If the words "East Lansing" are anywhere on it, then congratulations on being ahead of the game. For the rest of registered student voters, Nov. 2 will cost either a tank of gas to drive home or postage to mail out an absentee ballot. Voting is easy. But for the MSU student, the Motor Voter Act made it more difficult than it should be.

Last week outside Case Hall, state Sen. Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, put one foot forward in the best interest of student voters by announcing a bill that would benefit those with dual addresses. Presumably, the legislation would work in compliance with federal law, but would allow students to register to vote under their school address and make obtaining an absentee ballot easier. Additionally, first-time voters would be permitted to vote absentee.

The bill, pending approval and most likely not to be implemented in time for the Nov. 2 election, is effectively a friend to the college voter. Changing the address on your driver's license or obtaining an absentee ballot are by no means challenging tasks, but any roadblock to convenient voting is capable of outright deterrence. If the resources exist to make every voter count, there's little recourse for the opposition.

We urge the Legislature to comply with federal law, but make voting as easy as possible for college students. Obstruction doesn't lend itself well to expedient civic duty.