YouVote and the University Activities Board, or UAB, gave students one final chance to register to vote Monday at the rock on Farm Lane.
For Michigan residents who wanted to vote in the Nov. 4 election, Monday was the last opportunity. YouVote is a nonpartisan organization on campus.
“I want to vote absentee, and I was told if I come to this, I can do that,” economics and accounting senior Samakab Askar said.
“We want to educate students on voter registration, the issues and the candidates,” said Melissa Beard, a journalism senior and spokeswoman for YouVote.
On the final day to register, many students didn’t want to miss their chance.
“We’ve had our line wrapped around the block,” Beard said. “We had herds of people here today.”
Beard estimated about 500 people came out to register. UAB provided entertainment and free goodies to students — including hot dogs and hamburgers for the first 500 people, playing cornhole and “pie-a-candidate” of presidential hopefuls Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill.
“It was a picture of Obama or McCain plastered on a table,” said Stephanie Donelko, UAB’s leadership and education director. “People could throw a mini-pie at them.”
Campaigners for Obama and McCain were around the area as well.
“(Students) are going to be directly affected with how our economy is going. It’s important that we are politically active on campus,” Donelko said.
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