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With polling places open today across the state, and officials anticipating the highest turnout in recent years, student groups heavily involved in the primary’s outcome await results amid final-hour efforts to get out the vote.
“We are definitely hitting the campus area hard,” said Students for Barack Obama vice chair Maggie Raiken. “We’re just in awe of how much support we’ve had on campus.”
Students for Hillary Clinton chair Erica Buthmann said the three members of the Clinton family who spoke on campus in a little more than a week boosted their volunteer numbers and support.
“I think it’s helped outline the policies for most students, and now they’ve heard three speakers on the policies and the issues. They’re ready to vote for Hillary and ready to help Hillary win,” Buthmann said.
University of Wisconsin College Democrats will have a tent on Library Mall all day, according to chair Oliver Kiefer.
“This is really a ‘students for’ effort, and most of our stuff is just voter awareness,” Kiefer said.
According to Kiefer, the group will send poll-watchers to campus-area polling places for the duration of the day to protect against the “despicable tactic” of attempting to disenfranchise student voters.
Thousands of students turn up at the polls in each election, Kiefer said, and College Democrats routinely dispatch poll-watchers to check for irregularities and long lines.
College Republicans have no events planned during the day.
“Because our primary is pretty much decided, we haven’t been doing a whole heck of a lot with that lately,” said College Republicans chair Sara Mikolajczak. “There’s very little point in us doing big events like the Dems are doing.”
College Republicans will host their spring social and results-watching party at the Nitty Gritty starting at 6:30 p.m. According to Mikolajczak, that event will also host members of the county Republican Party as well.
Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., will get together at 8 p.m. tonight at the Great Dane, while backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will meet at the Stadium Bar at 7:30 or later.
A survey conducted Feb. 16 and 17 by Public Policy Polling showed Obama leading Clinton 53-40 among likely Democratic voters with about a 3 percent margin of error, although a poll two days before by the American Research Group put Clinton ahead, 49-43.
Buthmann said Students for Hillary isn’t worried about the polling numbers.
“She’s won in states where she’s been polling behind before,” Buthmann said. “We’re confident that she’s connected to students, particularly on this campus, and those students will make a difference in the state overall.”
On the Republican side, the poll shows Arizona Sen. John McCain leading former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee 50-39. McCain’s lead is down from last week’s 53-32 margin.
Once the hotly contested Wisconsin Democratic primary is won, the College Democrats will host their unity party Friday night to come together behind whoever the nominee will be.
Kiefer said he hoped the students who had been so committed and involved with either side of the race would be able to remember “the bigger fight is on tap in November.”
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Poll watchers? You take yourself way too seriously.
1:59 - you’d be surprised at the voter disenfranchisement that goes down. Even in Madison. Even on campus.
It’s easier to vote than it is to rent a movie.
I liked all the Obama and “VOTE” graffiti in the snow. You know that vandalism is illegal, and that the paint will run off in March and get into the lakes? Not so law-abiding and environmentalist now, are we?