Harvard Students Go to Polls; Hart Receives Strong Support

"I was torn between [Walter F.] Mondale and [George S.] McGovern, but I voted for McGovern on principle," Elisabeth A. Keating '86 of Dunster House said yesterday.

[Sen. Gary W] Hart [(D-Colo.)] has the best chance of winning against [President] Reagan, so I voted for him," said Daniel B. Shutler '87. "It was more a desire to get Reagan out than to get Hart in."

Keating and Shulter were among the Harvard students who braved blizzard conditions yesterday to cast their ballots in the Massachusetts primary. one of the nine primaries and caucuses held across the nation on "Super Tuesday."

An informal Crimson exit poll of 40 Harvard students yesterday afternoon showed Colorado Democrat Hart in the lead with 45 percent of the vote. McGovern followed, with 20 percent, while Mondale, Rev Jesse Jackson, and Reagan each received 10 percent of the student vote surveyed.

Harvard students vote at one of three polling places, the Broadway fire house (Freshman dorms, Adams, Eliot, Kirkland, Lowell. Old Leverett, Quincy and Winthrop Houses): Peabody School (Cabot, Currier and North Houses), and Corporal Burns playground (Mather, Dunster, and Leverett Towers)

Parallel

Hart's strong showing among Harvard students paralleled the Massachusetts results, which late last night showed the senator in the lead by a wide margin.

"Hart is intelligent and well-educated," said Charles I. Proudfit '87, adding. "I like his views on environmental issues like acid rain."

Sargent L Kennedy '86 cited international relations as his primary consideration in choosing Hart "I've talked it over with my roommates, and we've agreed that the liberal, younger thinkers like Hart will be able to cooperate better with the Russians and vice versa," he said.

Bruce L. Barnhart '86 voted for McGovern. "I don't think he stands a chance, but he's the best of the candidates. He's not someone who just came on the scene," he said.

A. Frank Childress '86 said he voted for McGovern for similar reasons. "He's been in the news for the last 14 years, and I'm familiar with the name. That's why I chose McGovern," he explained.

Mondale supporters pointed to "experience" as the main factor in their decision. "Mondale certainly knows the ins and outs of Washington," said Greg S. Markow '85

"Mondale is more experienced and conservative than Hart," explained Dunster House sophomore David C. Bolocan, adding that he doubted that Hart could "get the job done."

Principle Alone

A Mather House junior, who asked not to be identified, cast his vote for Jackson "on principle alone," adding that "the fact that we've never had a Black President is reason enough for me to vote for Jesse Jackson."

Some students were less emphatic in their choice. "I didn't have a candidate that met my needs," said Steven P. Augart '87 "I didn't particularly agree with any of them, but I voted for McGovern because I admired his honesty."

Poll officials estimated voter turnout reached only 40 percent, adding that the weather kept about 10 percent from going to the polls.

Campaign '84

As election results were coming in a group of students held a debate last night at the Institute of Politics (IOP) as part of the series addressing the issues of Campaign '84.

The Student Advisory Committee of the IOP invited Harvard coordinators of the various campaigns to explain their candidates views.

Gary A. Haugen '85, who represented Hart in the forum, said he admired Hart's conscientious thought about trying to produce new approaches to old debates."

Todd A. Lee, a first year Education student and a coordinator of the Jackson campaign on the Harvard campus, explained that his candidate was not trying to win. That would be unrealistic," he said, adding that Jackson's purpose was to "encourage other authorities to run for government offices and bring the civil rights issue to light.