Many College Democrats and College Republicans from Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry will actively get out the vote for state elections today.

Members from each group will participate all day in various campaign activities on and of campus to help their party candidates.

Ryan Colombo, a junior political science and history major and Chairman of the College Republicans at SU explained that students from the group will campaign for Bill Sanford, Republican candidate in the 119th district race for a State Assembly seat. The group will focus on Gov. George E. Pataki and Sanford’s elections, as it feels that it would have a greater impact working on one or two campaigns. Today, the group focuses on Sanford’s campaign, believing that the local campaign needs more support.

“We felt it was better just to work on Pataki and Sanford’s campaigns, and we thought we’d have a greater effect on Sanford’s campaign on election day,” Colombo said. “Each vote we get for Sanford means more than a vote for Pataki, in terms of numbers.”

The College Democrats have also decided to focus their efforts on the race for the State Assembly. They plan to campaign for Democrat Joan Christensen.

“(We’re) going to help out at the Joan Christensen campaign headquarters. We’re looking to help her get over the hump and solidify her reelection,” said Tim Schlittner, chairman of the College Democrats at SU.

From 6 to 9 a.m., College Republican members will hold signs aimed at potential voters in rush-hour traffic. At 2 p.m., they will help transport senior citizens to and from the polls. They also plan to call local registered Republicans and remind them to vote.

“Basically we’ll do anything else the Sanford campaign needs,” Colombo added.

College Democrats plan to do some get-out-the-vote campaigns, which include literature drops, phone banking, and holding signs on the street. Executive board members will gather wherever the local Democrats will gather as election results break. There they will “celebrate our victories,” said Schlittner, a senior political science and broadcast journalism major.

“I have a good feeling that local Democrats are going to win a lot of races, the issues fall on our side,” Schlittner said.

Most students will vote in the Schine Student Center. Other voting locations include Westcott Community Center and in the lobby of Toomey Abbott Towers, located near Brewster/ Boland residence halls. When each student registered, they should have been told in which location they would be voting, Colombo said.

“I hope as many students as possible turn out to vote,” Schlittner said.

Published on November 4, 2002 at 12:00 pm