Campus political groups aim to increase voter registration
As the deadline approaches to register to vote, both Democrats and Republicans attempt to increase enthusiasm.
By Jesse Trimble (Contact)
Thursday, October 9th, 2008
The deadline for voter registration forms in the state of Kansas is almost here.
KU Young Democrats, College Republicans and the Student Legislative Awareness Board, or SLAB, have all worked to get more students registered to vote and become more politically involved before the Kansas deadline on Oct. 20.
Photo by Jessica Sain-Baird
Gilbert Ng, Hong Kong senior, registers to vote in front of the Kansas Union on Wednesday morning, with help from John Cross, 2008 graduate and volunteer at the table. Cross said about 30 students registered to vote each day at the table, which was sponsored by KU Young Democrats.
Both groups have been in front of Wescoe Hall to register voters, and have also hosted watch parties for the debates.
Young Democrats and College Republicans held watch parties for both the presidential debates and the vice presidential debate. The final debate will be Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Both groups scheduled watch parties.
Andrew Toth, Colby sophomore and president of Young Democrats, said the group worked with the Kansas Democratic Party to sponsor the watch parties at Abe and Jake’s Landing, 8 E. 6th St.
“There have been a lot of people showing up so far,” Toth said. “Not just young Democrats, but Democrats throughout the community of all ages.”
Toth said that he was pleased to see a group of people come together who have similar ideologies.
Tuesday, Jim Slattery, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kansas who is currently running for the U.S. Senate, attended the Young Democrats meeting as its guest of honor and then attended the watch party.
“Jim was excellent,” Toth said. “We were extremely fortunate to have him.”
Toth said Slattery spoke for a few minutes and then took questions from the audience about his policies.
“He was very personable,” Toth said. “It always helps when you can speak to someone face-to-face.”
College Republicans has also hosted watch parties in the Traditions Area on the fourth level of the Kansas Union.
Jesse Vaughn, Mound City senior and president of College Republicans, said so far the turnout for the debates had been good.
“We’ve had a lot of the same members coming, but new people have been coming, too,” Vaughn said. “I’m really excited that new people are interested in joining College Republicans.”
Vaughn said more people attended the vice presidential watch party than the watch party for Sen. John McCain’s speech at the national convention earlier this year.
Vaughn said the group had repeatedly discussed the importance of registering voters this close to deadline and said they had plans to set up a table in front of Wescoe Hall on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We wanted to target the best area,” Vaughn said. “Wescoe Beach tends to be the area where students congregate.”
Vaughn said the group planned to set up tables toward the end of each week until the deadline for registration.
Toth said Young Democrats had also been planning to get all the students they could who hadn’t registered to vote to do so by the deadline.
A table will be set up at Mrs. E’s from Oct. 8 until Oct. 20, Toth said. Young Democrats is working with SLAB and will have tables at Mrs. E’s from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at GSP and Oliver residence halls.
Mark Maranell, general manager of Mrs. E’s, has been the manager for the last four years and said that while the registration tables tended to cause congestion problems, he said with careful placement it could be avoided.
“And it seems worthwhile,” Maranell said.
Maranell said in the past tables had been set up to encourage registration and that he invited both parties to participate because he didn’t want to promote any particular candidate or party.
Toth said almost 1,000 students had been registered to vote so far and that the group was pushing advanced ballot applications, so students could get their ballots mailed directly to their houses.
“Every day we have people approach us and tell us they’re so happy that we’re still here,” Toth said.
On the last day of registration, Toth said Young Democrats would be accepting voter registration forms until 2 p.m.
- Edited by Kelsey Hayes
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