November is usually not the most exciting month for University students. The weather gets colder, it becomes harder to make it to your 8 a.m. discussion and it certainly doesn't help that finals are fast approaching. But then there are Novembers like this one that prove to be the most exciting month of all, with elections, ballot boxes and candidates dominating daily life.
There are many reasons why some young people choose not to exercise their civic liberty to vote. Part of the issue can be because University students are normally consumed with their school work or simply uninterested in politics. As a result of the numerous activities and responsibilities students are busy with at the University, voting "often comes secondary," third-year College student and Vice Chair of Campaigns for the College Republicans Robert Martin said.
"I would say that, primarily, students are apathetic towards politics," Martin said. "Voting just doesn't take priority at the present time in their lives."
The issue of convenience is also a contributing factor for how many University students decide to vote. Often living outside of their voting districts, it is more of a hassle for students to obtain and complete the necessary paperwork for voting absentee.
Although Politics Prof. Paul Freedman said actual student participation levels in the elections will not be available until studies are released in a couple of weeks, he expects the percentages to be high.
"Many observers such as myself thought this was an election young people are energized by," Freedman said. "Whether or not that passed, we are going to have to wait and see."
Although midterm elections do not usually get as much attention from University students as presidential elections, this year proved to be different, Freedman said.
"I think young voters paid much more attention to midterm elections this year because there is the issue of war, which is something across the board that America is focusing on," Freedman said. "They really feel like this election matters. This year is also an election in which we saw large number of close races, and political competition in races stimulate voter engagement and involvement."
While voting is not commonly a priority for University students, Martin said he has become aware that voting has actually increased among the 18 to 20-year-old demographic this year. Many of the issues in the political forefront, such as national defense, the war in Iraq and the future of health care and social security, will directly affect the younger generations, Martin said. Individuals will take most interest in issues that they know will directly affect them.
"All of these issues contribute to an increase of political awareness of students on Grounds," Martin said. "We feel like we need to take action."
University Democrats President Kate Cristol said she also found the issues dealt with this year resonated a lot with students.
"I think people are paying a lot of attention to the election this year because there are a lot of issues that directly affect students here in Virginia," Cristol said. "For example, the current policies dealing with student loans is something that students especially pay attention to."
Freedman also mentioned the particular role that Virginia and the University played in the elections when relating to student interest in this year's election.
"Nobody expected the race in Virginia to be so close," Freedman said. "The race began to heat up after the 'macaca' incident, which involved one of us. It was not just on YouTube but also on The Today Show. It was an incident that affected not only the election here in Virginia but the control of the Senate. I think this had a special resonance for U.Va. students."
Freedman said he has found the University to be a politically active campus.
"Many of our students come from political families or grew up in or around D.C. and Richmond," Freedman said. "We have a much more politically aware and tuned student body here at U.Va. than at most other schools."
Cristol said she has also found the University to be quite political.
"I think that most people pay attention to at least what is going on," Cristol said. "Of course, some people are more interested in the process than others, but overall, I think there is a lot of interest in politics on Grounds."
Freedman said he doesn't find the student body to be leaning heavily towards either end of the political spectrum.
"I think young people in general tend to be more likely to vote Democratic than older people," Freedman said. "But, at the same time, U.Va. is definitely not the most liberal campus in the U.S. There are a large variety of ideas represented in the student body."
Some students, such as second-year College student Franny McNeive, are quite active in the political process. McNeive worked for the Tim Kaine campaign last year -- she got involved with the campaign through the University Democrats, which organized the lists of where registered voters in the area lived and sent students to their houses to ask if they have voted or needed a ride to the polls.
"I liked the feeling that I was helping in some way," McNeive said.
McNeive said she didn't know how much her political efforts affected on voters. If nothing else, she said she was still "encouraging and reminding people of the importance of voting." More importantly, McNeive said her efforts at least reminded people that "every vote counts."
"There's really something valuable in making a declaration of your opinion," McNeive said. "Even if you don't think that one vote can make a difference, the bottom line is that it can."
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