Despite months of intense on-campus attention from voting organizations, fewer students voted on campus this election cycle.
There were 3,432 ballots cast at the Reitz Union voting precinct out of 5,757 registered voters in Tuesday’s election, according to data from the county Supervisor of Elections Office.
In 2008, 3,923 votes were cast out of 4,512 registered voters.
Although there were about 500 fewer voters in Tuesday’s election, the voter turnout dropped significantly more. In 2008, 86.9 percent of registered voters cast ballots compared to Tuesday’s 59.6 percent.
Voting participation dropped in Alachua County as well. This election, 120,006 county residents voted. In 2008, 126,321 voters cast ballots.
Kelly MacLellan, a 21-year-old jounalism senior and internal vice president of the Gator Coalition for Civic Engagement, said student voting on campus may have dropped due to the increased push for students to vote by absentee ballots at their home counties.
Heather Dean, UF student representative for Power Vote, said despite the county’s numbers dropping, student voting is on the rise nationwide.
“There is definitely increasing student and youth influence as time goes on,” said Dean, a 21-year-old political science senior. “Students are becoming more and more engaged each election season, and it’s really showing.”
