MOBILIZING TO VOTE IN COLLEGE PARK ELECTIONS

by RICK OLIVER

The Terrapin Times Staff Writer

On November 4^th, the polls in College Park will open and a new City Council will be selected.  Well, sort of.  Of the eight council seats, there is only one contest and that is in District 1.  Incumbent Donald Byrd faces challengers John Krouse, current president of the North College Park Civic Association, and Dave Milligan.  Two will win and one will lose. 

            There are also two retirements, Councilman Mark Shroder of District 1 and Councilman Peter King of District 4. Jocelyn Peña will replace Councilman King.

            Tim Daly, President of the Student Government Association (SGA), sees a pro-student axis developing after this election.  “We now have three dependable votes for student issues and after this election I’m fairly certain we’ll have four or five.”  Daly is referring to King’s replacement, District 4 challenger Peña, and to Shroder’s replacement, District 1 challenger Krouse or Milligan.

            When asked if he was disappointed that no students were running this cycle, Daly responded, “Well, of course. But people need to realize that a vote for student issues is a vote for student issues whether it comes from a student or someone else.  The bottom line is that student issues will win with this election.”

            Daly also contends that it is still vitally important that students turnout to the polls on Election Day despite the lack of contested seats.  “The City must realize that students mean business and the only way they’ll realize that is if we turn out to the polls strong.”

            Consequently, Daly and others have a detailed plan to mobilize students on November 4^th.  This effort will be part two in a two part effort to get students to vote in College Park.  The first was a successful student voter registration drive in which close to 2,000 students registered to vote.

            The second part of the effort will get started with a call to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections to retrieve the names of all voters from ages 18 to 24 in the City of College Park.  These voters will be called a few days before and on Election Day to encourage them to vote.

            Second, a host of vans and drivers will be available to pick up those voters reluctant to walk at their door, drive them to their assigned polling place, and then back to their room.

            Third, an entourage of student volunteers will march through the dorms encouraging students to take a break from whatever they’re doing to vote.

            Finally, poll watchers will monitor the number of students voting and who is voting on Election Day to help facilitate the mobilization effort.

            This will all be coordinated from a central planning station staffed with several different student leaders.  “We know that registering students isn’t enough,” says Daly, “so we’re going to bring them out to the polls in force and show the City that students do care and we demand more attention to our issues.”