Students busy on final day of campaigning

Kayla Webley
2004-11-02
The Daily

The UW's chapters of College Republicans and Young Democrats are each individually holding massive get-out-the-vote campaign efforts for the election today.

"We're preparing for the most comprehensive get-out-the-vote campaign since the Vietnam War, comprised of over 100 volunteers working from the time the polls open to the time the polls close," said Brendan Levy, president of YDUW. "We expect to have well over 1,000 man-hours logged by the time the polls close and the bars open at the Westin Hotel."

Similarly, the UWCR launched a 72-hour task force to get Republican voters to the polls.

"For our get-out-the-vote effort, we are going around to targeted voters and making sure they vote," said Nick Dayton, president of UWCR. "We're going out and doing phone banking and poll watching. We're working with the King County Republican Party to turn out the Republican vote. We want the candidates that we pick to get elected."

UWCR members are calling voters and reminding them to vote in areas known to favor Republican candidates.

"We call voters that we think will be likely to support our candidate and make sure that they get out to vote," said Dayton.

The YDUW is also calling voters who are likely to support their candidates.

"We're getting out the vote in any way we can in one of the highest Democratic yielding districts in the state," said Levy. "We'll be calling through a list of targeted voters and new registrations to make sure they get out to the polls for Kerry and Gregoire."

The YDUW is working to spread its agenda around campus in many forms.

"We are putting up posters with the Democratic ticket so people will make sure to vote for even the more obscure issues and candidates. We're putting up maps of the precincts, we're chalking campus and we're putting up fliers that focus on individual issues and getting rid of anything that will not be useful on Nov. 3," said Levy. "We are also passing out stickers and buttons to decorate the student's bodies."

Today the UWCR, in addition to phone banking and sign waving, will be participating in poll watching.

"We are going to see that the other side is not campaigning in polling places and making sure people are coming out to vote," said Dayton.

The YDUW is seeing to it that all able bodies get to the polls.

"Well, we're not actually dragging people bodily, we are knocking on doors and going to libraries and cafeterias to make sure everyone knows that this is their last chance to make their vote count," said Levy.

Today marks the end of what has been a long campaign stretch for the individual groups. UWCR members have been busy tabling on campus to raise awareness for their causes.

"We have been tabling, making sure people that want to get registered can and giving out information about the candidates so people can be more informed," said Dayton. "We are working to create an awareness."

According to Levy, actions taken by the current administration have easily aided the Democratic causes on campus.

"A lot of groups are coming together because Bush has caused the disjointed liberal groups on this campus to come together for this massive campaign," said Levy. "It's going great so far, everyone is looking forward to the end of this administration."