In a last-ditch attempt to garner support for their respective candidates, both the University Democrats and the College Republicans are voyaging to the swing state of Pennsylvania, where the race for president currently is regarded as a dead heat.
The University Democrats will be stationed in Pittsburgh, Pa., while the College Republicans first will arrive in Harrisburg, Pa., before "fanning out around the state," according to College Republicans President Ali Ahmad.
The University Democrats, in conjunction with Cavs for Kerry, plan to bring about 50 students to partner with the organization PA Victory '04 in its get-out-the-vote efforts.
"Pennsylvania has 21 electoral votes, and it's a really close election that's going to be a nail-biter no matter what," said University Democrats President Ally Gold. "We want to go somewhere where we can make an impact."
According to Gold, the University Democrats also are attending a Kerry rally in Ohio Saturday night after working all day in Pennsylvania.
"We want it to be a kind of reward for the kids that have been working so hard after a day of canvassing and phone banking," Gold said. "There's a lot of members that have not seen him speak personally."
Ahmad pointed to a Los Angeles Times poll released yesterday, in which Pennsylvania was deemed a highly contested state, with Bush and Kerry tied at 48 percent each.
He said the poll was a primary example of why the College Republicans chose to campaign in Pennsylvania for the weekend rather than in Virginia.
"If Kerry loses this one [state], then there is an excellent chance that our guy will be in there for another four years," Ahmad said.
The College Republicans plan to take 35 members to work for the Pennsylvania Republican Committee, mobilizing voters and training other volunteers in their second trip to the area this election season.
"We were there last weekend, we brought 43 people there and put [the Pennsylvania Republican Committee] several days ahead of their goals," Ahmad said.
Some University Democrats will continue the local get-out-the-vote effort in Charlottesville and elsewhere throughout Virginia by phone banking and canvassing "precinct invasions" this weekend.
"Right now we're targeting people who are Democrats more so than the swing voters, making sure we get our base out to the polls," Gold said.
Ahmad said the College Republicans are concentrating their efforts out of state this weekend.
"We have been doing get-out-the-vote efforts at targeting districts in Virginia, and our efforts on Election Day itself will once again be back here," Ahmad said. "But in these last two weekends, we found a great opportunity to go to Pennsylvania, where it is a dead heat between Bush and Kerry."
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