The Triangle

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: News

Drexel University has a number of organizations, including the Drexel Democrats and the Election Task Force, working to register Drexel students and residents in Powelton.

As the Oct. 30 Democratic Debate at Drexel approaches, various organizations in the University community will lead voter registration drives.

The Drexel Election Task Force will include members of the Powelton Village Community in its effort to promote voter registration, and the Drexel Democrats are hosting voter registration drives for students. Also, residents of the Powelton Village area are teaming up with MoveOn.org in a campaign called "Leave No Voter Behind."

The Drexel Democrats and Election Task Force focus their voting efforts on on-campus students. However, the coordinator of the voter registration drives in the Powelton area, Sharon Ann Holt, expressed interest in those students living off campus and in the Powelton area.

"In the upcoming elections, we plan to work with MoveOn.org along with a student-based effort at Drexel," Holt said. "It is labor intensive to get out the vote, but it is tremendously effective."

In 2004, Holt's team worked with eligible voters and increased voter turnout to more than 800 residents.

"We've always been looking for ways to put a bridge between the neighborhood and the University," Holt said. "It's most important for students to get out the vote and engage in citizenship."

In the Powelton area, Holt's team follows up with residents after they complete the registration forms to ensure that they were submitted on time, and educates residents on where the polling booths are located. The Drexel Democrats are taking a similar notion by staying politically active for more than a year before Election Day.

"We are having a big voter

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