With Election Day here, the United Council of University of Wisconsin Students is among many groups encouraging students to get out and vote.

The UC, in cooperation with the United States Student Association Foundation, sent a questionnaire to candidates for governor, Congress and state Legislature. The results of the questionnaires were compiled into a book titled "Wisconsin Students Vote."

Questionnaires asked the candidates about issues primarily involving higher education: funding, tuition and diversity.

Taylour Johnson, organizing and communications director for the UC, said the group wanted to inform students about the issues at hand that most directly relate to them.

"We know that a lot of students are apprehensive about voting because they don't have all the information they need," Johnson said.

The booklet is also divided by UW school, designating which state legislators represent each campus with issue stances from each candidate.

But the voter guide does not include all gubernatorial, congressional and state legislative candidates, because some chose not to participate.

Information about Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and Green Party gubernatorial candidate Nelson Eisman are available in the booklet, but Johnson said U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., did not respond to repeated requests.

In addition to informing students, Johnson said UC is going to be physically getting students out to polling locations as well.

"We have volunteers on campuses all over the state currently phone banking," Johnson said. "Tomorrow they'll be walking and driving students to the polls."

GOP and Dems get out the vote

Both Republicans and Democrats on campus will also make efforts to get students out to vote today.

"We have quite an operation running tomorrow with 200-300 volunteers," said Eli Lewien, chair of the UW College Democrats. "We're hoping to have record turnout on the UW-Madison campus."

Lewien added the College Democrats will have a tent set up on Library Mall, trying to get Doyle re-elected and the gay-marriage amendment turned down.

Green spokesperson Luke Punzenberger said Republican students have been busy preparing for today.

"We obviously have student chapters around the state," Punzenberger said. "They've been extremely active in getting students to vote and understand who Mark is and what he stands for: lower taxes, lower tuition, greater job opportunities."

Representatives of both Doyle and Green's campaigns said students have the opportunity to have a huge impact on the election.

"The student vote could very well be the difference," said Anne Lupardus, press secretary for Doyle's campaign. "Students really have the opportunity to have a voice for a candidate like Gov. Doyle whose looking to make college more affordable for them."

Lupardus said it's important to re-elect Doyle, saying he's had a greater focus on education than Green and has increased financial aid for college-bound students.

Punzenberger also agreed there is a lot at stake for students this election cycle.

"There's certainly a lot riding on this election," Punzenberger said. "The election impacts students; it's important that they get out there and vote."

Punzenberger added, however, that students should realize Doyle is not the right candidate for them, since tuition at UW schools has increased 52 percent since Doyle took office four years ago.

And late Monday afternoon, UW Chancellor John Wiley sent out an e-mail to all UW students urging them to be "an active participant in the democratic process" by getting out to vote.

Wiley told students living in UW housing the locations of their polling places and offered off-campus residents the city of Madison's website, which gives the polling places corresponding to Madison addresses.

Polls will be open throughout Madison today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.