Students Take to the Campaign Trail in Final 72 Hours

As the candidates began the final push towards Election Day, they are receiving plenty of help from supporters.

Over the past two days, Harvard students have spread out over New England, making a last-minute push to get voters excited and interested in tomorrow's general election between Vice President Al Gore '69 and Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

The Democrats

For the Harvard-Radcliffe Democrats, the weekend's festivities began with a "Red, White and Blue" party on Friday night in Quincy House.

"Campaigning takes a lot of work, so we wanted people to have fun," said Sonia H. Kastner '03, projects director for the Harvard Democrats.

With Massachusetts polls showing Gore and U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 safe in their election bids, the Harvard Democrats turned their eyes northward.

The next morning, about 30 Harvard students joined Boston-area college students in stumping for votes in New Hampshire, where polls show a toss-up for Gore and Bush.

Working in Nashua, the group visited with undecided voters and worked downtown with local supporters. In addition to Gore, the campaigners worked for Governor Jeanne Shaheen and Congressional candidates.

"The people were really warm to us," Kastner said. "Some people were really responsive; they invited us in for soda and stuff."

After returning to campus, the students joined Kennedy for a rally in Fresh Pond, where he emphasized Cambridge's importance as a Democratic stronghold.

Trying to continue the momentum in the campaign's final hours, Democrats are preparing for today's rally with U.S. Senator John F. Kerry at Tufts University--the largest rally of its kind this year, according to the Democrats.

Tomorrow, for Election Day itself, students will be returning to New Hampshire to campaign at polling places, in addition to campaigning here.

The GOP

The Harvard Republican Club was just as busy, stumping in Maine and New Hampshire for George W. Bush.

"New Hampshire and Maine are as battleground as they come," said Republican Club President Jason A. Brinton '02. "Both states are within the margin-of-error."

On Friday, the Republican Club sent a group of students to a rally at the Manchester Airport where Bush's Vice Presidential nominee Richard B. Cheney spoke.

Saturday, students joined U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) for a breakfast rally in Portsmouth before heading to a massive get-out-the-vote effort in Hudson and Merrimack.

Some students worked closer to home, joining Mass. Gov. Paul Celluci (R) for a 2000 Victory Bus Tour over the weekend, supporting local Republican candidates.

Brinton and at least four other Harvard students will travel to the New Hampshire for Election Day to hold signs at polling places.

On Election Night, the club will gather at the Sigma Chi House on Mt. Auburn Street for a "victory party."

"That's going to be a lot of fun," Brinton said. "We're going to be watching results as they come in on the big screen. All the big swing states are going down at 8 p.m."