March to the polls

Since early voting began a week ago, UNC groups have been all over campus advocating its importance and stressing its accessibility.

On Wednesday, the UNC Young Democrats led a March to the Polls" starting in the Pit and winding across campus to the nearest early voting site at Morehead Planetarium.

They also handed out stickers and T-shirts for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and arranged for a pedicab to bring voters from the Pit until 3 p.m.

Any event that gets people excited about physically going to the polls is a good thing" said first-year member Lily Roberts.

Although the event was geared toward Democrats, some students said what mattered most was voting, regardless of party.

Obviously" we prefer that people not vote for McCain but it is important to vote no matter who you vote for" said sophomore Samantha Pounder, also a Young Democrats member.

Michael Foote, a sophomore Young Democrats member, said the organization is hoping to increase youth voter turnout this year — less than 30 percent of young voters turned out for the 2004 presidential election.

Kids are fired up about the election" but we need to do our part to deliver them to the polls" he said.

According to Orange County Board of Elections records, more than 22,000 people in the 18- to 25-year-old bracket are registered to vote in this year's election.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 7,000 people overall had voted at the on-campus voting site at Morehead Planetarium.

The nonpartisan voter registration group Project SERV has been publicizing early voting in the classrooms.

The group is supporting early voting by reaching beyond political organizations on campus and encouraging professors to take their students to the polls, specifically in the political science department.

We're just turning to all the options we can to try to create a nonpartisan effort"" said Katja Wallin, Project SERV's co-director.

She said early voting removes much of the burden of going to the polls on Election Day when the polls might be more crowded or the voter might be busier.

Voting early makes civic duty feel like civic opportunity" so you can go when you're available and there's not so much stress as on election day" she said.

On Wednesday, UNC College Republicans hosted a screening of The Youngest Candidate"" a documentary about teenagers running for office in the United States.

The screening was the part of director Jason Pollock's Why Wait? Early Voting"" tour of 15 college campuses.

Pollock said that this year's election could have a great impact on how the youth vote is perceived.

""This could be the year that youth change the way campaigns are run" he said. The youth vote has been talked about a lot" but not really seen before. It's time to start gearing campaigns toward the youth.""

Pollock said he was impressed with UNC's widespread support of early voting.

""We've been elsewhere in North Carolina"" but UNC has been the best we've seen.""



Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.