In an effort to increase student voting, Represent Penn State has registered more than 1,200 students to vote in the midterm election by yesterday's deadline.

The newly formed coalition has traversed campus since September, registering students at the Willard Building, Pattee Library, Old Main and in large lecture classes.

Represent Penn State was created in April as a non-partisan student voting coalition and organization that seeks to mobilize the campus to register and vote.

"We hope to work with the university to help them put forth a good-faith effort in having students register to vote and vote on Election Day," said Trey Thomas, Represent's overall chairman.

The coalition has worked with the College Republicans and College

Democrats in an effort to register as many students as possible, regardless of their political affiliations.

"We're very focused on increasing the number of voters, and the fact that we've doubled the number of students registered [since the 2002 elections] is very good," College Democrats spokesman Eliot Schmidt said.

The coalition's goal was to register 1,200 students, which they "met and exceeded," Thomas said.

Brandon Means, interim chairman of College Republicans, said his group is also focused on registering students to vote.

"We're always out trying to get students registered," Means said. "Students are apathetic about voting, but you always hear students complaining about politicians."

Registering students to vote is only half the battle, as the coalition is trying to ensure all of these students actually cast a vote.

"Only 422 students voted on campus [in the 2002 elections], which is pretty dismal," said Daniel Michelson-Horowitz (senior-biochemistry), the media relations and outreach coordinator of Represent. "We're hoping to increase that number."

This number does not account for students who submitted absentee ballots. Many students chose this option and decided to vote in their hometowns and home states rather than in State College.

"I decided to vote in Virginia because that is where I live now, and have lived for the past 18 years. Also, there is an extremely close senatorial race in Virginia, so maybe my vote might be worth more there," Brian Kavjian (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said.

Applications for absentee ballots are available online at www.representpennstate.org. A request must be sent by Oct. 31, and county offices will send the ballot out. Absentee ballots must be submitted by Nov. 3 for the vote to count.

For simplicity, Represent suggests registering to vote in State College.

"You vote in the [HUB-Robeson Center] -- how much easier does it get?" Michelson-Horowitz said, referring to Election Day on Nov. 7.

All students living on campus, with the exception of those living in North Halls and Atherton Hall, vote at the HUB. North Halls and Atherton Hall residents vote downtown at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 109 McAllister St. Off-campus residents vote at other downtown churches.

Represent plans to post a map of where to vote on their Web site.

"We want to simplify the process as much as possible," Michelson-Horowitz said.

To ensure that all registration applications were submitted by yesterday's 5 p.m. deadline, members of Represent drove the applications to the Centre County Elections Office in Bellefonte.

Now that all applications have been submitted, the coalition's focus is on Election Day. During the week of elections, they plan to work with LateNight Penn State to inform students about the candidates. They are also planning to pass out information about candidates the week before elections in front of the HUB. The culminating event will be a "Party at the Polls" at the HUB on Election Day.

The coalition hopes to see all registered students at the polls on Nov. 7.

"In 2004, lines were out the door -- we want to see that again," Michelson-Horowitz said.