James Q. Lynch, CR Gazette –
The Obama for America “campus takeover” get-out-the-vote effort at Cornell College will get a boost when the president makes a visit to the Mount Vernon campus Oct. 17.
The campaign has not released details of the President Obama’s visit to the 159-year-old private college, but he’s expected to have a late morning event at Cornell’s Armstrong Hall approximately the same time as satellite voting at the college’s Cole Library.
Event details:
Doors will open at 9:15 a.m.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for entrance. One ticket per person will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis at the following locations beginning at 4 p.m. Oct. 14:
Cornell College – Thomas Commons, 810 Commons Circle, Mount Vernon
Linn County Democrats, 2857 Mt. Vernon Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids
Obama for America-Iowa, 4358 16th Ave SE, Cedar Rapids
Obama for America-Iowa, 119 Marion Blvd., Marion
Limited parking is available on Cornell’s campus, and on the streets and in parks surrounding campus. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.
The president’s visit is part of a two-week get-out-the-vote effort on 34 Iowa college campuses, a campaign spokeswoman said.
The campaign push will include an appearance by musician Bruce Springsteen in Ames Oct. 18. The appearances will be free and open to the public. Ticket information, timing and location will be released in coming days.
Estimates are that between one-third and two-fifths of Iowans will vote before Election Day Nov. 6. Early voting, which started Sept. 27 in Iowa, provides an opportunity for college students, many who are away from home and voting for the first time, to register and vote in person in a hassle-free environment, according to the Obama campaign. Election Day polling locations often are in areas unfamiliar – and frequently inconvenient — to students.
The satellite voting at Cornell, which has about 1,200 students, will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday in Room 108 of Cole Library.
President Obama won’t visit every Iowa college, but the “campus takeover” events are part of his campaign’s effort to tap into Iowa’s historically high youth voter turnout with satellite voting on campuses and appearances by Obama surrogates on campuses across the state.
In 2004, turnout among young voters was 60 percent in Iowa, 11 percent higher than the national average for that year.
Four years ago, the youth vote was a key to Obama’s victory. The 2008 election, considered a record-breaking election year for most demographics, saw 63 percent turnout among young Iowa voters, according to the Obama campaign. That was second only to young voter turnout in Minnesota.
Obama’s national field director, Jeremy Bird, said 59 percent of Iowans registering to vote for the first time are younger than 30. In fact, more than four in five new registrants are women, young people and minorities, he said.
