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KU completes largest voter registration drive in recent history

LAWRENCE -- The Student Legislative Awareness Board (SLAB) of the University of Kansas has announced that 5,435 new voters were registered on campus this fall.

"Student groups from all across campus came together to make this happen," said Katie Wolff, a St. Louis senior majoring in political science who is legislative director for KU Student Senate and chair of SLAB. Wolff cited contributions from residence halls, fraternities and sororities, College Republicans, Young Democrats and the Dole Institute of Politics, among other organizations, in registering KU voters.

The group worked closely with the local Rock the Vote effort throughout the summer and fall, which attracted extensive interest from the community. In conjunction with Harvard University's National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, the registration efforts culminated in the first campus Civic Literacy Week Sept. 26-Oct. 2, which was organized in part by the university-wide Committee for Civic Engagement.

"One of our key goals this fall was to educate students on the process and get them personally involved in their government. By providing opportunities to meet candidates, learn about the issues and ask questions we hope that students will not only register, but get out and vote this fall," Wolff said.

Before the election Tuesday, Nov. 2, SLAB plans to continue to distribute candidate information sheets as well as field questions that may arise about voting.

Wolff remains optimistic: "This could definitely be a defining election as far as young voters go. We need to back up our commitment to involvement demonstrated by high registration numbers with high turnout on Nov. 2."