The Lantern

Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: Multimedia

Tuesday's rainy, cold weather did not keep some Ohio State students from voting in the Ohio primary.

"I hope the rain doesn't keep people away," said Paige Martin, a sophomore in speech and hearing science, after voting for Barack Obama. "This primary is really important because our country is having problems and we need a good leader with good ideas."

Student voters drew a considerable amount of attention this election season. Many political figures visited campus during the past few weeks in hopes of winning youth support and sealing their candidacy.

Charlie Mars-Mahlau/AP Josh Allen, a student in social work, is helped by poll workers Yvonne Dilewis and Alice Long at The Newman Center Tuesday.

This battle for student votes reached its climax Tuesday as first-time voters and veterans cast their ballots to voice their political concerns and secure a place in the race to the White House for their favorite presidential hopeful.

Brian Shininger, a senior in middle childhood education, voted at the Jesse Owens South Recreation Center. He woke up early to make sure he had enough time to vote before classes.

"This is a really close and important race," he said. "I wanted to make sure I had the time to vote."

Many voters expressed the importance of the democratic primary. Lori Cook, a roster judge at JOS, also said the democratic primary was a landmark.

"There has never been anything like this," she said. "The next president might be a woman or a black man."

Cook said she liked working at the campus polls.

"I enjoy working with the students. I like to see them come out and make their voices heard," she said.

Although many have referred to the republican primary as a done deal for John McCain, Quentyn Daniels, a Columbus citizen, stressed the importance of taking the time to vote no matter how decided the candidacy might seem.

"I voted for McCain because I still want my views to count," he said.

Student volunteers from the Moritz College of Law waited outside the polls to assist anyone who encountered problems trying to vote. The volunteers have a background in election law and used their knowledge to help student voters.

"We just want to make sure that everyone who wants to vote gets the chance to do so," said Aaron Applebaum, an OSU law student. "Even students who have an Ohio driver's license without proof of current address are legally allowed to vote as long as they're at the correct place."

Applebaum and other volunteers helped direct students to their correct polling locations. They even offered rides to those who needed it.

Students with various political views had many reasons as to why they supported the candidates they voted for. Despite the differences, they all had one basic thing in common.

"I want my vote to count," Shininger said.

Hannah Tyler can be reached at tyler.94@osu.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools