Students who signed up for Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato's Introduction to American Politics will get much more than an introduction to the presidential race: They will have the opportunity to hear firsthand from Democratic contender Hillary Clinton in their classroom Monday.
Sabato said the presentation, on the eve of Virginia's Tuesday primary, is not an endorsement of the senator from New York.
"All the candidates were invited to teach this election-eve class, on a first-come, first-served basis," Sabato wrote in an e-mail. "The Clinton campaign called first, so they got the spot."
According to Sabato, Virginia will be decisive in the Mid-Atlantic primary outcome.
"Virginia has turned into the focus of the Mid-Atlantic primary," Sabato stated. "Both Clinton and Obama are targeting it and working the state hard."
He added that he believes that there is palpable political energy in the commonwealth.
"I expect a very healthy turnout on Tuesday," Sabato wrote. "The public's interest in this election is through the roof, and it's virtually unprecedented in my lifetime."
The Virginia State Board of Elections also expects a good turnout for Tuesday's primary, according to Valerie A. Jones, deputy secretary at the Board of Elections.
"We anticipate that we are going to have maybe a 30 to 40 percent voter turnout and we expect that a number of people will be voting for the first time," Jones said.
According to Jones, there are almost four million registered voters in the commonwealth, 300,000 of whom are new voters.
Although regular primary voting in Virginia will last from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday, many citizens will be voting this week and this Saturday as in-person absentee voters.
"The nice thing about [in-person absentee voting] is that you can go to your registered office and vote absentee," Jones said. "You don't have to worry about those lines."
Jones said some voters are enthusiastic to cast their ballots, noting that on Super Tuesday, the Board of Elections received nearly 700 phone calls from confused voters asking why their polling locations were not open.
"It shows that people are energized about what's going on. They are eager to participate in the process," Jones said.
Other events leading up to Tuesday's primary include Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris' recent endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
"This year is critical and I personally endorse Obama," Norris said. "I think he really does have what it takes to make a positive change in Washington."
Looking ahead to next Tuesday's primary, Norris said that he expects to see "a much higher turnout" than at previous primaries.
On Grounds, both the College Republicans and University Democrats are organizing for next week's primaries.
College Republicans Chair Robert Martin said his organization has been assisting various campaigns through such methods as phone calls, literature drops and sign holding.
Martin believes that the large military presence in Virginia will help Sen. John McCain of Arizona in the Republican primary next Tuesday and said he is interested to see the effects of Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's suspension from the race.
"It should be interesting to see where the support of Romney goes and how Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee can capitalize on this being a two-person race," Martin said.
The University Democrats are also preparing for the upcoming primary.
This Saturday, a group of students from the University Democrats will be attending the Jefferson Jackson Dinner at Virginia Commonwealth University, which is one of the largest meetings of Democrats in the commonwealth.
According to third-year College student Phil Sukys, University Democrats' campaign and party coordinator "this [year's dinner] is very important," because of the upcoming primary.
"Both Clinton and Obama are coming to speak." Sukys said.
Sukys added that he is eager to see the results of the Virginia primary and what effect it will have on the Democratic race.
"It's very exciting for all of us who are very politically aware because we never thought we'd [have such an] important role in the nomination process," he said.
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