AUGUSTA – Last year, the number of young men signing up for the draft in Maine fell for the first time in years.

As a result, those young men are jeopardizing their future eligibility for federal jobs and student aid.

Some officials say the state should consider linking driver’s license applications to registering with the Selective Service.

“I think we should consider it,” Maj. Gen. Joseph Tinkham, Maine’s adjutant general and defense commissioner, said Thursday. “We are still doing pretty well, but I am concerned some of these young men do not know what they may lose by not following the law and registering.”

In 2000, Maine had the second-highest rate of compliance with the federal law, which requires all males 18 to 26 to register with the Selective Service. But in 2001, that 96 percent compliance fell to 91 percent, 14th on the national list.

Failure to register bars a person from working for the federal government and from getting federally guaranteed student loans.

“We are still above the national average [86 percent], and we are doing better than many states, but I am concerned at the drop,” said Averill Black of Hampden, the state Selective Service director.

“I am not sure why we dropped, but I have a few ideas,” said Black, a retired educator and former military officer. He has noticed regional differences, with northern Maine near 99 percent compliance, but far lower rates of sign-up in the Lewiston and Portland areas. As a result, he has concentrated his compliance activities in those areas.

“We have 165 schools that have named Selective Service registrars to help us get to these young men,” he said. “Many do not realize how serious this can be to their future.”

For example, Black said, he recently had a 28-year-old man from Bangor call him for help. He was married and was working for the state Department of Transportation but had the opportunity to get a better job with the U.S. Postal Service. But his job application was rejected because he never registered for the draft.

“He called and pleaded, asking if there was anything I could do,” Black said, “but I had to tell him no, the law is clear. You must register before you are 26.”

U.S. census data shows there are about 100,000 young men between 18 and 26 this year. Tinkham said he is very concerned that thousands of young men are failing to register because they are high school drop outs and “fall through the cracks” of a registration system that is school-based.

“That is why I am supporting this proposal of tying registration to driver’s license applications,” he said. “Most drive, even if they do not complete high school.”

Black said he is working on legislation based on laws that have been passed in 24 states. It would require a person when they apply for a driver’s license or learner’s permit to “check off” whether they have registered for the draft.

“If they haven’t, than they would be automatically be registered,” he said. “It won’t be perfect, but it should catch most kids that are falling through the cracks today.”

The Secretary of State’s Office always has been reluctant to allow anything to be tied to driver’s licenses not directly connected to driving. For example, the office has opposed legislation suspending a driver’s license for failure to pay child support.

“But we are willing to look at this,” Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky said recently. “We have opposed linking a person’s ability to have a driver’s license to other things, but I think this is something we should consider.”

Gwadosky wants to review the legislation before deciding whether to support the measure. He said the cost of the measure also would have to be a consideration.

“My first reaction is how could this do any harm?” Sen. Christine Savage, R-Union, co-chairman of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee, said recently. “We should look at it carefully, particularly if there is cost, but we should certainly consider this. I think there are a lot of young men that just do not realize the ramifications of not signing up.”

Black said he has discussed the proposal with some lawmakers, and most have had a similar reaction. He said some have questioned the need of the measure when the state is doing relatively well in getting voluntary registration.

“I hope I can convince them we need to do this to help the young men falling through the cracks,” he said. “I really hope I can convince them.”