Several local candidates running for the state House of Representatives visited ASU Wednesday to stress the importance of student voting at a meeting organized by ASU Votes.
"Voting is an integral part of being a student at ASU," said Isaac Kimes, student campaign coordinator for the group, which works in conjunction with Undergraduate Student Government to register voters.
"By increasing the number of young voters, we're making sure politicians address our issues," he said.
The goal is to register 5,500 student voters - the number of votes by which Rep. Laura Knaperek, R-Tempe, won the 2002 election - and educate them on election issues from a nonpartisan stance, Kimes said.
"We wanted to show that student votes are significant because they could swing the election," he said.
At Wednesday's meeting - the group's first since launching this semester - ASU Votes got a little help with getting their message out from local candidates.
Five District 17 candidates spoke at the meeting, including Knaperek; Democratic candidates Angie Crouse, David Schapira, and Rhett Wilson; and Republican candidate Dale Despain.
District 17, which covers parts of Tempe and south Scottsdale, includes ASU's Tempe campus.
While some candidates spoke to students about why they should vote for their political party, all speakers stressed the importance of student voting.
"The future depends on your participation in the vote," Wilson said. "If you're not satisfied with the way the government is handling the
issues, you should stand up and do something to change it."
Crouse said it is not only important for native Arizonans to vote, but for the many students coming from out of state, as well.
"This is now your home," Crouse said. "What happens in the Arizona Legislature directly affects you."
When Knaperek spoke, she added that students should do their own research when deciding whom to vote for, instead of listening to what other people tell them.
"Decide which issues are important to you, and then go do your homework," Knaperek said. "Go to campaign sites, the Arizona
Legislature Web site, or you can even check MySpace.com to get your information."
So far, ASU Votes is making progress in reaching their goal of registering 5,500 students.
"We registered 50 people today, so that leaves 5,450 to go," Kimes said.
The primary elections are Tuesday, and the general election is Nov. 7.
