Campus kicks off Democracy Matters @ Bloomfield College
February 6, 2008 - To increase voter education about Super Tuesday and increase voter registration for the November presidential election, Bloomfield College held mock primary elections on Monday, February 4, 2008. Red, white, and blue balloons festooned the campus with students encouraging their colleagues to vote in the mock election for the candidate of their choice. At each balloting area was information about how to register to vote in the state of New Jersey and voter registration forms. Students, faculty, and staff also had the option of voting for their candidate of choice using an online balloting system.
Faculty were on hand at the polling areas to help members of the college community understand how to read the ballot and cast their vote. During the course of the day, more than 200 voter registration forms were given to members of the college community with instructions as to how and where to register.
People who participated in the mock election were asked if they were registered voters. Of those who participated 76 percent said they were registered, 82 percent were registered Democrats and six percent were registered Republicans with a few registered as other. Approximately 11 percent of the campus community voted. The mock election results were: 61 percent for Barack Obama; 31 percent for Hillary Clinton; 3 percent for John McCain; 1 percent for Mike Huckabee; and less than one percent for Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. These results are not official, but they are indicators of the general feelings about the candidates on the Bloomfield College campus.
Dr. Marion Terenzio, vice president of academic affairs said, "The most important thing about Democracy Matters @ Bloomfield College is that we brought democracy to the campus and taught people how to exercise one of their most fundamental rights as a citizen of this county."
Special thanks to Jocelyn Moses for getting the electronic balloting up and running, Michael Kurrier, Maria Dyer, Glenford Brown and members of the Student Government, Debra Adler, Barbara Isacson, Jill Alexander, Rob Alegre, Dan Skinner, and Barbara Machtinger.
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