Yes, we can, says Senator Barack Obama. But will we?
With the recent projection that youth voter turnout could smash all previous records, Penn's political groups are spending their final hours making sure student turnout lives up to the hype.
Penn Leads the Vote, Penn Democrats and the College Republicans will be all over campus today encouraging students to go to the polls.
Last night, the Penn Dems brought Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, actresses Morgan Fairchild and Debra Messing and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell to Houston Hall to help with their efforts.
The speakers emphasized the general importance of voting more than the importance of supporting Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, following in the footsteps of nonpartisan groups like PLTV.
Messing even encouraged students to skip class to vote, adding that she is sure that the "president of the college" wouldn't mind.
Penn Leads the Vote collaborated with the UA to send e-mail and Facebook reminders to students.
The organization will have a noticeable presence on campus - flyering on Locust Walk, hosting an "information station" on College Green to help students locate their polling place and performing general "Election Day cheering," said College senior Stephanie Simon, a member of the group's executive board.
And where PLTV members have not gathered, their presence can be felt in their balloons and other decorations.
PLTV will wrap up their efforts with a "war room," a tactic usually employed by campaigns, to reach voters who haven't made it to the polls by 5 p.m.
But the College Republicans and Penn Democrats want more than just turnout. The two groups are still vying for the undecided votes that remain on campus.
Penn for Obama has spent the past few days flyering, tabling, phone banking and canvassing off campus.
Today members will be standing 100 feet from the polls - the closest they are allowed to come - to make a last-ditch effort, said Wharton sophomore and Penn for Obama co-President Mike Stratton.
"A latest CNN poll shows one out of every seven believe that their vote could be swayed" last minute, he said. "We want to get those last 5-10 percent."
Meanwhile, the College Republicans have been working with local politicians and Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign headquarters in downtown Philadelphia.
College Republicans President and College junior Zac Byer explained that although the organization has worked on campus the last two months, it is focusing its efforts outside of Penn today.
"We're more likely to run into a Democrat or an Obama supporter if we knock on doors on Penn's campus," said Byer of the decision to target voters outside the Penn community.
And despite the threat of long lines at the polls, people are optimistic that it won't affect turnout.
"The enthusiasm is high enough on campus that [students] are going to do what it takes to vote," Simon said.
