The campus has been abuzz lately with "get out the vote" efforts staged both by enterprising individuals and student groups.
Individual efforts range from volunteers hanging up hand-printed, white poster board "Vote" signs to bicyclists riding around University City armed with loudspeakers.
Different student groups and University offices have also organized a diverse set of activities aimed at ensuring that students vote in this election.
College senior Amy Greenbaum said that she would have voted regardless of the initiatives aimed at increasing voter turnout. However, that has not stopped her from volunteering in this election. She has been out knocking on doors on behalf of MoveOn.org.
"I think it is important," Greenbaum said. "I think it will help."
Penn Leads the Vote, a non-partisan student group organized this summer, has been concluding a semester's worth of planning and activity in the last 24 hours.
Last night, the group's members and other volunteers canvassed the college houses, knocking on doors and reminding students to vote.
Additionally, Penn Leads the Vote will have approximately 50 students stationed around campus today wearing red shirts and headbands whose insignia will encourage passersby to vote and to ask for help finding polling locations if necessary.
Penn Leads the Vote Co-Director and College junior Farrah Freis said she felt these actions were important, despite the high level of interest already generated in the upcoming election.
"We just wanted to be really visible. I don't think anyone needs a reminder on this Election Day, but we wanted it to come from their peer leaders, " Freis said.
The college houses have planned a variety of activities aimed at getting their residents to the polls.
Residents of Hill College House will be able to vote as a group, with different graduate associates leading students from the dormitory to the polling location at David Rittenhouse Laboratory.
Across campus, Residential Adviser Niva Kramek and GA Liz Kelly, both of Harrison College House, have launched "Harrison 100 Percent Vote," which has the ambitious goal of getting all eligible residents of the house to vote in this election.
Efforts in Harrison have ranged from flyering and publicity to outright bribery -- the dorm's cafe will give out free pastries and coffee to those who hit the polls early.
Other college houses have tried to raise awareness through panels, flyers, e-mails and even intra-house competitions that test student knowledge about the local elections.
College sophomore and Penn College Republicans member Jeff Ransom said he has been inundated with voting information. While he said that he is "kind of tired of it," he appreciates that most of the activity has been non-partisan and education-focused.
"It hasn't been too bad. It is just educating people that haven't voted," Ransom said.
Penn student e-mail boxes have been crammed with e-mails encouraging them to vote and get informed about recent changes in their polling locations. E-mails have gone out over the listservs of dozens of student groups, many college house and even some academic majors.
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