In a response to low turnout in student wards during primary elections in February, city and county officials urged students Monday to exercise their Constitutional right to vote.
Ald. Tom Powell, District 5, and Sup. Echnaton Vedder, District 5, both up for re-election this April, said students have the potential to control city and county politics by voting because of their large proportion of the population.
“A lot of the movement and momentum for social change has traditionally come from campus,” Vedder said.
Despite the potential for student influence in local government, Dane County Clerk Joe Parisi said students do not typically vote in Madison elections.
“Voter turnout in the city is traditionally lowest in student wards,” Parisi said. “Even in the last presidential primary, which was run at the same time as a county board race, [Vedder’s] district only had 800-900 total votes cast.”
He said students should take advantage of their position in college to recognize their obligation to the political process.
“College is a time when you get to focus on the fact that you have a responsibility towards others,” Parisi said. “Voting really is about helping other people. If you don’t vote, you’re letting other people make a decision about the air you breathe, the water you drink but more importantly, the air that your children will breathe and the water your children will drink.”
During the primary election Feb. 19, student wards saw voter turnouts as low as one-tenth percent, and only seven residents in the Lakeshore Residence Hall area turned out in the District 5 city council primary race.
Powell said voter apathy is not the only reason for low student turnout. He said many students do not know how or where to vote, and some choose to keep their voter registration in their hometowns.
Parisi said Wisconsin voters need only live in their respective districts for 10 days before the election, and can register to vote by bringing proof of residency to the polls.
Those who do not know how to vote can visit the city’s website (www.ci.Madison.wi.us) to learn more about the process and find out the location of polling places in their district.
