Students gear up for Presidential election

With the 2008 general elections only five weeks away, student political organizations are working to get students registered and informed about the issues and candidates on the ballot.The deadline to register to vote for Indiana is Monday, said Kelsey Kauffman, a part-time professor at the University who has been working since last spring to register people, especially with College Democrats.

Kauffman said that if a student has not signed up to vote, he or she needs to act immediately.

"If you are not registered to vote or want to change your voter registration to a new address, you have only one week left to do it," Kauffman said. "You can either register in Indiana or in your state of origin."

College Democrats President David Dietz, a sophomore, said there are several options for students, including registering through the organization or at the court house.

"Anyone can e-mail me and I will get them registered," Dietz said.

For students who do not wish to vote in Indiana, Kauffman says that registration forms are available online and can be submitted electronically or through the mail, depending on the state.

Dietz said that few young people vote because they are not attracted to traditional politics.

"I think young people felt disillusioned with politics for awhile," Dietz said. "Our voice hasn't been heard for a long time. Washington has been controlled by special interest groups and the same old-boy network of politicians for long enough that we felt we couldn't make a difference. But now I think we have a really good chance to take back our government and fix a lot of the things that have gone wrong and change the way Washington works."

Morgan Burke, president of College Republicans, said political parties need to pay more attention to students.

"Political parties in general need to become more of a presence on college campuses, as apolitical, unopinionated, independent students are more likely to support things they're accustomed to being around," Burke said.

Kauffman said she is hopeful this election will change the status quo.

"I think this election may be different," she said. "Young people played a decisive role in the primary last spring, and I think they will do so again in November. After all, the stakes in this election are much higher for your generation than mine."

Burke said he recommends first time voters examine which presidential candidate is the best able to deal with current issues.

"The economic and energy crises we are facing are unprecedented and will involve a completely different approach that transcends partisanship," he said.

Dietz said the future is also a big reason to vote this November.

"We are going to be the ones graduating into this economy," he said. "We are going to be the ones who can't get jobs. We are going to be the ones growing up and raising a family in crazy climates. ... The sooner we step up to the plate, the better prepared we will be when we are the ones at the helm."

Kauffman says that young people should go out and vote "because what either Barack Obama and Joe Biden or John McCain and Sarah Palin do in the next four years may affect the rest of your life, and the lives of billions of other people around the globe.