The 2012 election is finally here, and last minute efforts to increase the youth vote have taken off at the Dartmouth College campus. The College Republicans and College Democrats have worked around the clock in order to increase voter turnout by campaigning and reaching out to students and members of the community. Throughout the day they will be providing transportation to the polls located at Hanover High School free of charge for the voters.
Throughout the election, the College Republicans have attempted to reach out to Hanover’s potential Republican voters, by holding phone banks and campaigning door-to-door, in the efforts to maximize voter turnout.
College Democrats have kept busy also by holding phone banks and canvassing in Dartmouth dormitories with the Students for Obama group since early September. As Election Day crept closer, they saw a surge in volunteers, reaching over 100 from just roughly a dozen earlier in the month. On Monday, they attempted to increase visibility in order to maximize voter turnout, by handing out campaign materials all over the campus and encouraging fellow students to become involved in the election.
A poll held last week by the campus newspaper claims that the majority of about two-thirds of Dartmouth students will be voting Democratic in this year’s election, and the president of College Democrats Mason Cole has estimated that the true ratio is probably much higher.
Cole is hopeful that there will be pretty good turnout for this election, based on the amount of participation seen at several volunteering events and debate watch parties.
“It’s pretty hard to determine how the turnout will compare to previous years, but we’re hoping that our efforts have clarified the process for students,” said Cole.
According to William Baird, who is president of the College Libertarians, student votes are crucial because of New Hampshire’s role as a swing state.
“Targeting youth vote is a good strategy,” he said. “New Hampshire is a small enough population that each vote is very powerful.”
Together, College Republicans, College Democrats, the Collis Governing Board, and the Rockefeller Center are hosting a bipartisan results watch party. It will be held at Sarner Underground tonight at 9pm.