Just because the voter-registration deadline has passed, don't expect the Locust Walk tables that were previously covered with registration forms to disappear.
Now that they have done their best to make sure students have registered, political and civic-engagement groups on campus want to make sure those students vote on election day.
The groups are planning a variety of events designed to both increase student interest in the election and ensure a high turnout.
"There was a lot of excitement leading up to the registration deadline and we want to keep that excitement up," said Penn Leads the Vote executive board member and College senior Stephanie Simon.
This election season has generated a high level of youth interest so far, with an overwhelming number of young voters supporting Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Pennsylvania polls show the race is close between Obama and Republican candidate John McCain, and an extremely high youth turnout could be a deciding factor in the state.
There will be a slight lull in the action on campus over fall break. But the next phase of election activities has already begun, as the Penn Democrats, the College Republicans and Penn Leads the Vote co-sponsored a debate-watching party in Houston Hall last night.
The Penn Dems and the College Republicans will then debate each other for the second time this semester after fall break.
In the final month before the election, Penn Leads the Vote will primarily be focusing on get-out-the-vote efforts, according to Simon.
"We want to make voting fun," she said.
The group will be sending out e-mails, hanging signs and passing out flyers "to make sure everyone knows it's election day" when the day comes, Simon said. They also have plans to decorate the campus on election day, she added.
Now that they are no longer trying to register students, the College Republicans' "main focus is going to be cultivating as many votes as possible for McCain on campus and in the surrounding areas," said College Republicans president and College junior Zac Byer.
"We want to let students know they have more than just one option for president," Byer added.
Similarly, Penn Dems is "moving into our voter persuasion and education phase," said Penn Dems president and College junior Lauren Burdette.
But "you won't see us on the Walk the rest of this week," Burdette said.
"People are a little burned out," she added.
