You won't see rap artist Diddy in a "Vote or Die" T-shirt or any other signs of MTV's "Rock the Vote" campaign at Arizona State University in coming weeks. But Ross Meyer, president of the student body, says you can expect to see a concerted effort to register thousands of students in Tempe and at the college's other campuses as the Nov. 7 election nears.
The Arizona Student Vote Coalition is a project of the Arizona Students' Association and the Arizona Public Interest Research Group, along with student government organizations from each of the state's public colleges. Their aim is to increase voter registration among young adults.
Research has indicated that voter turnout among college-age adults generally is better if they are urged by peers to register, said Isaac Kimes, a statewide coordinator for student programs with the Arizona Public Interest Research Group.
More than 3,000 ASU students have registered in the past few weeks. In 2002, 11 percent of voters ages 18 to 24 cast ballots in Arizona, compared with 50 percent of voters 25 and older, according to the research group. - Chris Ramirez
