The UF College Democrats have begun Vote 100, an effort to turn out a minimum of 100 student votes in the January 2012 election.
Local politicians make many decisions that impact the lives of college students, even if students are not aware of local politics and do not participate in the elections. The city of Gainesville’s population is roughly 124,000 and there are 52,000 students at the University of Florida, meaning that UF students make up 42% of the population.
Despite this fact, student turnout has historically been very low in local races – City Commission, County Commission, and the Mayor. In the 2010 runoff election to elect the Mayor of Gainesville, voter turnout at the Reitz Union (the on-campus polling place) was a mere 2.45 percent! Mayor Craig Lowe was elected by a margin of 42 votes, making student voters critical to his success.
Because local elections are typically lower turnout across the board, every vote becomes that much more important in deciding the election. The UF College Democrats are proud to announce the Vote 100 Campaign – we are committed to turning out at least 100 votes in the 2012 Gainesville City Commission election.
The goals of this campaign are twofold: First, we want as many students as possible to be involved in the democratic process. Voting is habitual, meaning that once you start voting, odds are you will continue to participate in future elections. Our aim is to get students interested in voting in local races now, so that they will continue to do so in the future. Second, the UF College Democrats want to make sure that Gainesville’s elected officials are looking out for the best interests of students. The only way to guarantee this is for students to play an active hand in local politics, by showing up at the polls and casting their ballots in every election!
Remember, Election Day is January 31st, 2012!
So. Much. Like.