Wiley encourages student participation in Wisconsin primary
By: Amanda Howser /The Daily Cardinal
- February 13, 2008
In preparation for
Wisconsin's primary Feb. 19, Chancellor John Wiley e-mailed the student
body urging them to be active in the election.
Chancelor John Wiley urged students Tuesday
to learn about the presidential candidates, register to vote and
participate in the 2008 Wisconsin primary Feb. 19.
“As I’m
sure everyone is already aware, Wisconsin voters will have the chance
to make their voices heard in the presidential primary,” Wiley said in
an e-mail sent to all students Tuesday.
UW-Madison’s
Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group is currently working
to ensure students will be well represented when polls open next week.
“We’re really focused on getting new voters to the polls,” WISPIRG
Chair Jeff Rolling said of the group’s New Voters Project. “Candidates
are coming to students because they know that students are turning out
in record numbers.
“We really have the ability to sway an election outcome.”
WISPIRG has many plans to appeal to new voters, but their upcoming Feb. 14 campaign may grasp the most attention.
In
light of National Condom Week, the group will host a “Lose Your
Political Virginity” tabling event at Memorial Union. Its goal is to
bring in as many new voters as possible. In years past WISPIRG has brought voting attention to over 100,000 students.
Issues
like health care, higher education costs, social topics and the Iraq
War are increasingly grabbing the attention of students all over the
nation.
The university has already been the focal point
for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Chelsea Clinton. Feb. 16, U.S.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Obama will visit Milwaukee. Former
president Bill Clinton will visit Madison Thursday, as well as
presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.
Students who live
off-campus can find their polling location at
cityofmadison.com/clerk/voterwhere.cfm. Students living in university
housing can log on to uc.wisc.edu/vote. The polls will be open from 7
a.m. to 8 p.m., and students can register on Election Day at their
polling location with a valid proof of residence or witness.
Election Officials Needed
The
Madison’s City Clerk is seeking Madison residents to help with the Feb.
19 Primary Election. Anyone interested in serving as an election
official can submit an application at
cityofmadison.com/clerk/pollworker.cfm. To qualify as an official you
must be a Madison resident age 18 or older, an eligible voter and a
U.S. citizen.
