Junior Jonathan Williams won't be voting in the Orange County elections this November.
"I'm just not real familiar with the politics in Orange County," he said.
And Williams isn't alone.
But one of the main advocates of student voting on campus won't be active in getting students to the polls this semester.
VoteCarolina, a student group that aims to register and educate students so that they will vote, will not mobilize voters until next semester.
Katie Baker, chairwoman of the group, said the reason for VoteCarolina's lack of involvement is that she is taking the semester off and can't be on campus to organize the group.
"It's very hard to recruit students and encourage participation when I'm not there to do it," she said. "When I'm a student next semester, it will be easier to restart the organization.
"It's my responsibility to help get things started."
Baker said VoteCarolina was formed by student government in 2004 but now is independent and in a formative stage of organization.
Baker, who is registered to vote in Orange County, said that next semester the group will alert students to the importance of voting in the 2008 national elections.
She added that students are more likely to vote in these elections than those on issues in Orange County.
According to the Orange County Board of Elections, only 1,970 people between the ages of 18 and 22 voted in 2006.
And with UNC's student population totaling more than 27,000, it's apparent that most students didn't vote in the county last year.
But there are still groups on campus this semester that are attempting to get students to the polls.
The Young Democrats and College Republicans will help students register and make them aware of their political interests in the local election.
Jake Anderson, president of the Young Democrats, said the organization will be "making sure the election is well-publicized and that people can get the info they need."
He said that getting the message out is important in Chapel Hill because of low voter turnout among Democrats.
"In a town like this, Democrats are about half the population," he said. "But we're very lowly represented."
Anderson, however, is registered to vote in Forsyth County.
Charissa Lloyd, chairwoman of College Republicans, said voting allows students' voices to be heard.
"Students are always complaining about things they don't appreciate in the process," she said. "Students often have a unique perspective on how things can be done, and they should voice that through their votes."
Lloyd is registered to vote in Cumberland County.
Still there are students who plan to vote in Orange County this year.
Junior Jonah Garson, a Chapel Hill native, said that he plans to vote this year out of basic civic responsibility but that students shouldn't vote if they don't know the issues. "They should either really try to educate themselves or not vote at all."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
