Will Tigers turn out to the polls?

Anyone who's been reading the papers lately knows that this election could be a watershed in U.S. politics. But with midterms just around the corner, have Princeton students been reading the papers? Do they, in other words, really care about this election?

"Students are generally interested if you remind them to vote," said Sarah Breslow '08, a co-chair of P-Votes, the University organization that coordinates voter registration. "But it's not something that is automatically on their radar screen, so to speak. Students here are so busy and so wrapped up in affairs on campus that it becomes difficult to follow elections here in New Jersey and even more difficult to follow elections in their home states." Breslow is also an associate editor at The Daily Princetonian.

Part of what P-Votes does is remind students about the important issues at stake. "This year's midterm elections will be some of the closest in our nation's history. Control of each chamber of Congress is completely up for grabs, meaning that November 7th [Election Day] will set the policy direction for the next two years," Kris Ekdahl '07, another P-Votes co-chair, said. Though the Republicans control Congress, the Democrats need only a net gain of 15 seats in the House and six seats in the Senate to turn the tide their way. With national support for the Republican Party in decline recently, it is a distinct possibility that the Democrats could take control of Congress.

Evan Magruder '08, another co-chair of P-Votes, says 451 students, staff and faculty registered this year. Many of these students are freshmen who have recently turned 18 and have just become eligible to vote. The number is up from last year, probably because the organization now registers voters from all states rather than just from New Jersey. Many students also choose to register on their own and vote using absentee ballots.

As a whole, though many students want to vote, they may not be well-informed on current issues. Before coming to Princeton, Steve Ross '10 used to be very knowledgeable about current political issues and candidates. Now, however, he explains, "I just don't have the same kind of access to television news, and I don't have the time to read about issues online." He also has found that many Princeton students have "preconceived notions" about the parties and the candidates from past experience rather than up-to-date news. Nevertheless, Ross intends to vote. He plans to educate himself about the election issues and candidates in the upcoming weeks.

Dan Rauch '10 had a different experience from Ross. Though he used to get much of his news information from television and can't do that at school, he remains well-informed at Princeton by checking news sites daily. Rauch tried to be an active member of the Princeton College Democrats but says he found that the organization didn't have much influence in spite of hardworking officers. Rauch also feels that there are many apathetic voters at Princeton largely because "absentee ballots are a lot of work and many districts are not competitive." Some students, he added, feel that it isn't worth the hassle because their votes will not matter.

Vice president of Princeton College Republicans, Clarke Smith '07, who is also an editor for 'the Prince,' agrees. "Political apathy is a problem among Princeton students," he said. Still, he added, of the students who are informed about politics, he finds that there is a good degree of passion. Smith says membership in his organization has increased in the past few years. The College Republicans hopes to make political involvement more visible on campus through more social events and lectures by important political figures.

"Most students have one or two major interests, and it is hard to get them to remain informed on politics because of the time constraints," said Rob Weiss '09, vice president of the Princeton College Democrats. He added that, as with the College Republicans, membership in his organization has increased in the past few years. Much like Smith, he hopes that the College Democrats will remain active with many social events and political discussions. He wants the organization to connect with other liberal groups with similar interests. Overall, Weiss says, one of his organization's most important goals is to get students out to vote — regardless of their political affiliations.

Though some Princeton students may be politically apathetic, the students interviewed for this article all have very strong political opinions.

Weiss and Rauch both believe the Democrats have a good chance to take control of the House and possibly the Senate come November. Rauch suggested that this might be because of negative feelings many voters have towards Bush and his policies. Moreover, he believes that the Democrats have very strong, qualified candidates this year. If the Democrats are able to take control of Congress, Rauch explains, "there will be many more controls placed on Bush." Weiss recognizes that the Republicans have a more effective machine for getting voters out, but he says that the Democrats have the drive and should be able to build up the voting population. He supports a positive agenda with a focus on solving current problems rather than just criticizing of opponents. He cares most about education, healthcare, energy independence, the environment and gaining respect for the United States throughout the world.

Smith, by contrast, strongly believes that the Republican Party will hold onto Congress because "it is better for ensuring national security," an issue he believes will be one of the most pressing in this election. He agrees with Weiss that energy will continue to be important, noting that the current administration has already made some progress in lowering the cost of petroleum lessening America's dependence on it. Smith argues that the Republicans have taken the most effective approach to the war in Iraq and says it is important to maintain stability in the region.

For Ekdahl, this election is critical because so many important issues are at stake: "foreign policy debates on Iraq, North Korea and the broader war on terrorism are salient issues for our future. And there is a plethora of domestic issues that will be influenced by the election outcomes, such as immigration and energy policy."

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Waqas Jawaid '10, who comes from Pakistan, offers the perspective of students who cannot vote because they are not citizens. He believes that it is very important for Americans to vote because voting is the basis of a democracy. He knows many international students who have worn T-shirts in the past few weeks that promote voting in general. "The University has done a lot to encourage voter registration," Jawaid said.

Perhaps Ekdahl offers the best advice: "Whether you're Republican, Democrat, Independent or Green," he said, "you should make your voice heard on Election Day."