Election night looms ahead

Election Day is fast approaching with polls slated to open at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
After months of hearing election promises, voters will finally have the opportunity to make their opinions count.

Nodaway County Clerk Beth Walker said in 2004, nearly 84 percent of Nodaway County voters went to the polls for the General Election –– 655 of those were absentee voters. So far, there have been 800 requests for absentee ballots for this  election.

"With registration numbers higher all over the country, and the mass media information, I think it is obvious there is increased interest in this election," Walker said. "There is an increase in young voters as well. We have had 2,301 new registered voters in 2008. Of those voters, 1,709 are under the age of 25. That is extremely encouraging."

Walker is pleased that, for the first time, eight college students will be working at the polls at the November General Election. They will be working at all of the Maryville polls.

Students signed up to be poll workers through the Missouri Secretary of State Web site and were chosen to work with other trained poll workers.

"Approximately 50 students signed up," Walker said. "I think that is an indicator not only of this election, but a sign of drawing the youth of our country into the election process."

Claude Chester, a sophomore business management major at Northwest Missouri State University, said this is the first time he has been involved in election matters.

"My mother and I were talking on the phone and she told me I should get involved in some way with the election –– either by working the polls or at one of the party headquarters or something like that," Chester said.

Chester said it's very apparent that college students are more interested in politics these days.
"It's a lot different from high school," he said. "Not everyone in high school is registered, but most are when they get in college. You see lots of buttons and stickers around campus and in class everyday someone is talking about the issues."

Chester said the housing market, the economy and education are probably the most important issues in this year's election.

"The education issue affects my family in two ways –– my brother and sister and I are all students and our mother is a teacher," Chester said.

Chester will be working at the election polls on Tuesday, along with seven other students attending Northwest.

Ashley Reed, a senior public relations and business management major, will be working as an election judge for the first time this year. She said her grandmother has been an election judge for as long as she can remember.

Reed sees the economy, education and student loans and health care as the biggest issues facing students as they go to the polls this year.

Reed said she hopes more students will become involved in the election this year because of the extra efforts on campus. She said mock debates and speakers have been offered in an attempt to help students become more interested in politics and more aware of the issues.
"This is a big election," Reed said. "I think everyone should take part and cast their vote. No matter who wins, this election will go down in history, so we might as well take part in it."

Katherine Kelly, a freshman at Northwest this fall, intends to declare a political science major at the end of the semester. Although this is the first time Kelly has been involved in election matters, she said she believes students are concerned about the economy and what's going on in Iraq.

"I think it's a big deal to vote," Kelly said. "When people tell others they aren't going to vote, others may take an example from them and not vote themselves.

Melissa Englehardt is a sophomore majoring in Spanish education and minoring in political science. Englehardt said she believes the issues most affecting students are the economy and the war in Iraq.

"Some students say they aren't interested in the election –– they are more focused on getting through school and getting a job," Englehardt said. "Students who feel their votes don't make a difference need to realize their future depends on it."

Englehardt said she has really been interested in the election this year with it being her first time to vote. She also felt it would be fun to work as an election judge.