By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – A concerted effort to once again register college students to vote in the upcoming elections is underway.
In 2004, more than 12,000 college students in New York registered to vote in that year's presidential election. This year, in an election that could determine which party controls Congress, a similar registration initiative is underway at all State University of New York campuses.
Doug Jordan is a junior at Fredonia State College. He says this year's goal is to register 30,000 new voters.
"We're counting on the fact that we have experience, plus the fact that the governor's seat is up for election," Jordan said. "That's a big draw."
Jordan says there are more than 400,000 students attending SUNY's 64 campuses, which means the potential is there are a lot of new voters. Even though this year's effort is just getting off the ground, about 1,000 students have already responded by registering.
Jordan says he wants to send a message that students have a vested interest in who's elected.
"I'd say the big reason college students are doing to care about the right to vote is to influence your budget better and to be able to get, in our case, cheaper tuition," Jordan said.
The nationwide group Rock the Vote, the SUNY Student Assembly and United University Professions, the union representing SUNY faculty and staff, are sponsors of the voter registration effort.
The registration effort continues through October 6th.