College Democrats and Republicans team up for Rock the Vote

By Spencer Morton

Posted on Oct. 21, 2008, at 12:00 a.m.

With elections 16 days away, the University of Maine student political groups have set partisan differences aside and are focused on one thing: getting fellow students to vote.

On Thursday, Oct. 16, in coordination with UMaine UVote, the College Democrats and College Republicans hosted Rock the Vote.

“This event is about getting as many students to vote as possible,” said Ben Goodman, communications coordinator for the Campus Coalition of Change. “Young people can make the difference, so it’s a huge deal.”

Memorial Union was buzzing with students, and the excitement over the current political season was palpable. Booths for the respective political parties handed out stickers, posters and T-shirts and gave everyone an opportunity to register to vote.

In addition to the political atmosphere, student a capella groups entertained the crowd. The Maine Steiners, Bear Vocals and Renaissance impressed with their variety, covering songs from Bon Jovi to John Legend.

“Even though we have different political beliefs, it’s about coming together to get students to vote,” said Emily Cain, Orono’s Maine State Representative. “Every student has the power and the right to vote, and we want people to get excited.”

Cain, a UMaine graduate, was one of the original organizers of Rock the Vote in 2004. “Voting is not just for old people. Young voters are going to be the secret ingredient to this election,” Cain said.

Zach Jackman, president of the UM College Republicans, said, “We’ve seen amazing involvement so far this season. There are a record number of voters, and this event is crucial because we want even more people to come out on Nov. 4.”

Among the political booths was an interesting table advertising PowerVote. “PowerVote is a non-partisan pledge supporting long-term energy solutions,” said Amy Becker, a PowerVote representative. “People can pledge to support renewable energy. If we get enough pledges, we can force Congress to re-evaluate our current energy situation.” More info can be found at powervote.org.

Maine state law allows voters to register on election day. UMaine students can wait until Nov. 4 to vote, but now they have a unique opportunity: On Oct. 23, the university will hold an early voting day. Students need only bring a valid Maine driver’s license to the Union from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and they can vote two weeks before the election.

“Early voting day is . a great way to avoid the long lines at the polls on election day,” Goodman said.

The evening of entertainment and political discourse continued the annual tradition of hoping to pique student interest in voting.

“Maine will be a pivotal factor in this presidential race, and the University of Maine is the largest university in the state. Students need to be involved,” Goodman said.