With the spring election taking place during the University of Wisconsin's spring break, students will have a more difficult time casting their votes than normal.

Students who will be out of town April 3 will need to vote absentee in order to have a say in choosing the next mayor of Madison and filling several seats on the City Council.

City and university officials have been leading the charge to get out the absentee vote and held a meeting last week to extend the city clerk's office hours, run shuttle vans to and from the office, and distribute absentee voting forms for UW students.

We applaud the efforts of both the city and UW for tackling the issue head-on. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, has been a particularly avid supporter of the effort, and it's refreshing to see such proactive cooperation between the city of Madison and the university administration to address what is clearly an important issue for students.

We would also like to take this opportunity to encourage students to vote. It's going to take more than a trip to Memorial Library for those of us who won't be in town the first week of April, but the student body plays a critical role in Madison's culture and should be represented as such in the election.

The next mayor will orchestrate the annual Halloween festivities on State Street and determine in large part how many police officers the Madison Police Department can hire in the future. Additionally, with Austin King's departure, the City Council seat representing District 8 — which includes the southeast dorms and the Regent Street area — is up for grabs.

Registered voters, including students who have already voted in Madison while living at their current address, can request an absentee ballot by mail by filling out a form available at www.cityofmadison.com/clerk/voterAbsentee.cfm. Students who are not yet registered to vote in Madison must visit the city clerk's office and present proof of residence — acceptable forms of proof are available at the aforementioned website.

Though spring break is still weeks away, midterms and general anticipation will make the time fly by — so start planning to vote early.