Months of non-stop campaigning and fundraising culminates today as Pennsylvanians head to the polls to cast their ballot for governor.
Pennsylvania gubernatorial hopefuls Ed Rendell, the Democratic candidate, and Mike Fisher, the Republican nominee, were scheduled to cast their ballots early this morning and will continue on the campaign trail throughout the day.
Political Science Professor Henry Teune said that in the home stretch, there is not much campaigning to be done.
"There is not much they can do," Teune said, emphasizing that the candidates are most likely focused on thanking their workers.
"You have to reward" your staff, he said. "These are the people who have given a lot for you."
Today, Fisher will make his final campaign trip across the state before returning to Pittsburgh to await results, according to Fisher spokesman and Penn alumnus Nils Frederiksen.
"We have a number of things planned today," Frederiksen said. "Local officials will help us campaign at polling places across the state."
The Rendell camp will spend the day tomorrow making the final push to stimulate voter turnout.
"We are putting into place the final pieces of our 'get out the vote' effort, and tomorrow we will get out the vote," said Rendell spokesman Dan Fee.
Fee said he is happy with the way the campaign unfolded.
"We have done everything we could have done," he said.
Both Frederiksen and Fee said that their candidates are running very close to empty.
"At this point, [Rendell] is running on adrenaline," Fee said.
Penn political groups have been very active this season, working closely with the campaigns and organizing rallies on campus to support their candidates.
"We don't think the race is as uncompetitive as polls suggest, and we will do everything we can to continue to work for Mr. Fisher until the last poll is closed," said Penn College Republicans President David Copley, a Wharton sophomore.
Penn College Democrats Vice President Jesse Salazar, a College sophomore, has helped garner support from college students.
The College Democrats have arranged for volunteers to work at polling sites, as well as campaign headquarters in Center City today. Democrats say they are confident about their candidate's chances.
"I think going in our prediction was very strong, and we are all enthusiastic about Rendell," Salazar said. "He supports issues that are important to college students."
Copley added that his party's opponent, "Rendell, is very charismatic and has run an excellent campaign."
But how the winner will make the transition after the election, Teune said, remains to be seen.
"Rendell seems to have run a better financial campaign," he said, "but how he will govern is another story."
Rendell "and Fisher can promise things, but they have a constitutional system to deal with," he added.
Students can vote on campus at David Rittenhouse Laboratories, located at 33rd and Walnut streets, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
