Students often feel among the most forgotten members of the electorate. After all, Governor Jim Doyle, working with the state legislature, cut Wisconsin’s higher education system by $250 million in the last budget cycle — the deepest cut the system has ever taken.

Yet, during the 2004 election cycle, students will have a real voice — and real power — in important races. We encourage students to join organizations and campaigns so as to make their voices heard in the one place where politicians feel it most: the ballot box.

History serves as compelling evidence for the considerable power student votes can exert. In 2000, former Vice President Al Gore defeated President George W. Bush by just 5,700 votes in Wisconsin. With high voter turnouts on campus for Gore, the absence of student voters could have made a historic difference. Without students turning out in high numbers for Gore, Bush could have won Wisconsin’s nine electoral votes, and no one would have heard of Katherine Harris or dimpled chads.

In 1998, Senator Russ Feingold defeated former Congressman Mark Neumann by just 37,000 votes, or less than 3 percent of the total votes cast in the election. Again, if students had not turned out in large numbers on this campus for Russ Feingold, the composition of a tightly split Senate could have been much different. A myriad of legislation would have been dramatically affected if just one or two more senators sat on the Republican side of the aisle for the past six years.

This year, students will be able to continue influencing the political scene. In the Democratic Presidential Primary that takes place Feb. 17, many — if not all — of the candidates are sure to visit Wisconsin. March 2, just after our primary, the field will enter into Super Tuesday, when the next nominee for the Democratic Party may be decided. This makes Wisconsin especially important, since candidates will vie for the important momentum a victory in Wisconsin could offer. A few thousand votes on this campus could and will most likely make all the difference to winning Wisconsin and the Democratic nomination for president.

In the general election for president, Wisconsin will remain a major battleground state — and prominent national political figures are sure to visit Madison in an effort to garner support for either themselves or the candidates they endorse. As noted above, Gore only won this state’s electoral nod by a few thousand popular votes in 2000, and the Republican National Committee is targeting Wisconsin as a place to win in 2004. Do not be surprised if President Bush visits several times.

In the Senate, Wisconsin is also a battleground state. With Feingold squeaking by in the last election, Republicans are targeting his seat as a possible means of gaining more stability in the Senate. Again, many prominent national voices will come to Wisconsin in an effort to gain support for their candidates. The difference could come down to just a few thousand votes. Those votes will be cast by students on this campus.

But the national elections are not the only ones in which students can make a significant difference. Important local issues, such as whether to construct a casino in DeJope, will hit the ballot as referendums February 17. And there is no doubt the issue will affect students. The fall ballot will also include several state and county races — and the choices students make in these under-publicized races will affect everything from rent prices to tuition rates.

In the coming weeks and months, this editorial board will present its endorsements for various elections. We will do this on behalf of what we view as the student interest. But that same student interest is also expressed by those informed students who choose to take an active part in the campaigns, organizations, and other groups involved in tight races.

Above all, we encourage readers to take an active part in the elections that shape their lives. The student vote matters, and it will make the difference in the 2004 election cycle.