For the first time in recent history, the 2007 spring elections will fall in the middle of the University of Wisconsin's spring break.

Spring recess at UW begins March 31 and ends April 8 next semester, while the spring elections always occur on the first Tuesday in April.

And City Council President Austin King said this is the first time in recent memory that UW's spring break has lasted through the first week of April, and the only time since his time in Madison that students will not be present for Election Day.

"That's like scheduling Election Day on a student holiday," King said. "This is going to disenfranchise thousands and thousands of voters."

According to King, having students absent the day of the spring elections will not only affect the mayoral race, but also alders who have primarily student-based districts. If students are truly a demographic politicians care about, he added, the university and the city are going to have to look at their options. King represents much of the campus area, including the Southeast dorms and Regent Street.

King said absentee voting has been successful in the past among students. Yet King also said he hopes the university overturns its decision to hold spring break the first week of April because the student vote is so crucial to elections. Spring election dates are specified under Wisconsin Statutes, he added, and cannot be altered.

"It would be particularly ironic for a university doing an excellent job last fall encouraging students to vote [to play] a role in disenfranchising them," he said. "It's never happened before, but we're very hopeful they overturn it."

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, meanwhile, who also represents many UW students, said it is unlikely the university will change spring break. With assistance from both UW and city officials, he added, the student vote will turn out just as strong.

Verveer said if students are leaving during spring break, they can either request a ballot and mail it back to the City Clerk's Office or vote early in person at the City-County Building.

"I'm surprised that many of us involved in these elections only found out [Wednesday] of the conflict," he said. "The bottom line is, I hope the university will assist in encouraging students to vote absentee … even if it means putting some money up to help advertise."