University Democrats will be teaming up with the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., to host "2002 in 2002," a month-long voter registration rally beginning Monday.
Organizers will man tables both on the Lawn and in Newcomb Hall through Sept. 28 to hand out forms necessary for both in-state and out-of-state students to become registered voters before November elections.
The goal of the rally is to register a total of 2002 new voters, making this year's drive the most ambitious University registration drive to date.
Co-sponsoring groups such as the National Organization for Women and the Queer Student Union will join the University Democrats and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., a Black Fraternal Council member.
The groups plan to hand out pamphlets outlining what they see as the most important issues facing voters in the upcoming elections.
Among those issues highlighted by the flyers will be Virginia's higher education bond bill, a measure that would raise money to help the University and other Virginia public colleges and universities weather drastic budget cuts.
"The top priority is to get more students to vote and fight student apathy," said Ian Amelkin, third-year College student and University Democrats president.
With increased participation, he said, college students nationwide could become a much more powerful voting bloc.
"We want to give people info about the issues -- what's going on right now -- and give them the tools they need," said Michael Dunkley, vice president of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. and co-chair of the Black Fraternal Council.
"The object is to get as many people to vote as possible," Amelkin said.
He ranked the passage of the bond bill as the second main goal in this year's drive.
Increasing Democratic control of the House and Senate also will be a priority, given current Republican control of the White House, Amelkin said.
Asked whether the groups would push a Democratic agenda in the voting guides they plan to distribute, Amelkin reiterated that the main focus would be registrations.
"Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, we don't care," he said. "We care more about getting out the votes."
Sponsors of the drive admit that the target figure of 2002 new voters is high. But by stretching the drive out from a week or two -- as previous registration drives were conducted -- to almost a full month, organizers hope they will reach the mark.
"The longer we are there, the more [votes] we get," Dunkley said. "So this year, we thought, set a big round number and go for it."
Dunkley expressed optimism about this year's more aggressive approach.
"If everything goes well, 2002 is a very realistic number," he said.
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