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With the election only days away, time is
running out for potential voters to educate themselves on the issues.
Representatives from student organizations representing all political parties
and the Rutgers College Governing Association fought gusting winds and sporadic
rain on Wednesday afternoon at the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group's
"Party-Party" to convince students to vote in Tuesday's election.
"The whole idea behind the NJPIRG "Party-Party" was to help students put a face
to a name," Rutgers College junior and NJPIRG chair Lauren Michaels said.
NJPIRG is a bi-partisan organization that appeals to all the candidates running
in the district, and works to educate voters on the election.
"Before we were at a standstill. A lot of voters said they would not vote
because they did not know the issues, and a lot of politicians said they would
not back issues because the people did not vote," NJPIRG campus organizer Matt
Elliott said.
When eighteen year-olds were first given the right to vote, a full half of the
newly enfranchised voters went to the polls. However, in 1998 only 14 percent of
all voters ages 18 to 24 voted, and NJPIRG's "Vote New Jersey" campaign is
looking to change this. "Our goal now is to continue to educate and empower
students so that they vote on November 4 and every election thereafter," Elliott
said.
NJPIRG member Cherlyn Russo summed up one of the main reasons many people got
involved in the event. "Basically knowing that vote statistics are so low, even
getting a single person to vote is a good thing," she said.
The lack of students voting is often cited as a major reason why the university
has faced dramatic cuts in the state budget. "I am tired of politicians
overlooking student issues, so we have to get more students to vote," NJPIRG
member Brett Schneider said.
The RCGA also had a table at the event to encourage voting in the upcoming
election. "In light of this Tuesday's election, our voices should be heard," Mya
Teshmukh said.
Josephine Giaimo, the Green party candidate Assembly for District 17 said, was
one of a few candidates who attended the event. "It is important to support
NJPIRG and campus efforts."
"Perhaps these are not the most optimistic of times for students, but...there is
hope," Giaimo said. "A little known fact about District 17 is that it has one of
the smallest percentages of seniors in the state. Students could become a
powerful voting block if they would get out the vote."
"I think part of the success of the NJPIRG Party-Party is just showing the
students that the candidates are willing to come out here and hear their
issues," Elliott said. "I commend the politicians out here today for taking the
time to come out and speak."
