Technology is playing a large role in the Undergraduate Student Government elections, and in an attempt to increase voter turnout, online voting has been implemented.

To vote online, students should go to the Web site www.psuvote.com on Wednesday, Election Day, and type in their Penn State user ID and password, which will then lead them to the polls. Buck Thompson, Online Voting and Tallying Commissioner for the elections, created the Web site.

The site is already up and running with links to the presidential and vice presidential tickets' Web sites, an election timeline, links to a list of the senate candidates and a discussion forum.

Web pages have been a major outlet for the presidential and vice presidential candidates to get their platforms and ideas out to the voters.

Each presidential ticket has created a Web site explaining their platforms, a personal profile about what they have accomplished and activities they have been involved with.

The candidates said the Web sites have been a positive attribute to their campaign processes.

Vice Presidential Candidate Benjamin Gerald said, "We've gotten a good amount of questions — just students that would like to know more about what we stand for."

"We've gotten a lot of visitors," he added about the site.

Gerald and presidential candidate Terry Burke's Web site is www.burkegerald.com.

Presidential Candidate Matt Rokita said he and running mate Sushil Nanavati have been getting a lot of hits on their Web site also, but not as much feedback as they would like.

Rokita said the Web sites are a very good way to get their ideas out because they are available to students 24 hours a day. The candidates Web site is www.votern.com.

"With as big of a campus as Penn State is, it's an easier way to reach all students," he said.

Presidential Candidate Katelyn Belyus said her ticket's Web site has received a lot of positive feedback about her campaign.

The candidates Web site is www.katelyntom.com.

Belyus, who is running with Tom Murtaugh, said they gave out their instant messenger names and have talked to students through that media outlet as well.

Presidential Candidate John Linde said he and Vice Presidential Candidate Nathan Murphy have gotten about 1,500 hits to their site, www.johnlinde.homestead.com.

"We've had our whole platform up since day one," Linde said.

As far as the amount of feedback the team has received, Linde said it's been low.

"Either no one cares or the Web site is pretty good."

Presidential Candidate Justin Zartman said he and running mate Amanda Hudnall, too, have had a lot of hits on their Web site, www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/a/jaz141.

"It has a lot more information about our platform. It shows who Amanda and I really are," Zartman said.

Presidential Candidate Robert Michaels said his Web site, www.michaelslum.com, has seen a good amount of visitors.

"One thing that we're doing, we'll have a link that's working that will take you to the voter site," he said.

Most of the candidates agreed that having online voting could increase voter turnout.

Gerald said, "I think it will have an impact (on voter turnout)."

Linde said the candidates should focus on increasing voter turnout.

"I think if we all do the job of advertising, the numbers should go up," he said.

Zartman and Gerald said weather sometimes discourages voters, but this year, students have the option of staying in their rooms and voting online, hopefully increasing the turnout.