Volunteers of various university groups flooded campus Tuesday in an effort to make use of the last possible hours before the polls close.
The UW-Madison College Democrats kept tabs on voter turnout throughout the day by constantly re-evaluating the situation at the polls and sending out reinforcements to wards that were underperforming, according to Chair Liz Sanger.
\The more that we can contact people one on one, the more that we can be a visible presence on campus today, the more people are going to vote,"" she said. ""It's been a very positive day for Democrats, it's really made me hopeful that we will sweep the election.""
The College Democrats were not the only ones working hard on Election Day. Edgewood College freshman Jacob Jansen, who passed out literature for the Green Party in Dane County, said it was still possible to influence voters.
According to Jansen, Americans have a short attention span and constantly need to be given other options.
""People, if they knew they had other choices, would make those other choices,"" he said. ""I think that what we are doing today can affect how people vote and will affect [the election].""
UW-Madison junior Liz Sauer, a member of UW-Madison Students for Nader, was not so optimistic. According to her, the response was ""very, very cold.""
""People don't even want to hear it,"" she said. ""They just hear his name and automatically think 'Oh my gosh, he's going to win the election for George Bush again.'""
Sauer said she felt the majority of people already knew who they were going to vote for, and today was just a time to show sentiment, not to sway a lot of people.
Supporters of both the Republican and Democratic candidates gathered on the bridge connecting Vilas Hall and the Humanities building to wave at passing cars and pedestrians with signs promoting their respective candidates.
According to UW-Madison graduate Elizabeth Anssield, the Democratic presence was doing a good job of making people ""Honk for Kerry,"" and even if they were not swaying voters, their display of support would get people energized and ready for the night.
Although the bridge swayed left, those representing the Republicans were not discouraged.
""It is important on this campus that there is a discourse-a multi-faceted discourse-and that it's not just a bunch of liberal hot air blowing one way because if that's the case, then ... it does nobody any favors whatsoever,"" said UW-Madison junior Frank Hennick.
UW-Madison junior Brad Vogel, also a Bush supporter, said, ""We are just trying to bring a little diversity to the campus debate, and I think that in itself is important-just the fact that we are here.""
According to Hennick, there were some people who still needed to be reminded to vote, and it was their job to do just that.
""If people aren't already excited, this will really get them going for tonight,"" Anssield said.
