As the United States presidential race draws ever closer, campaigning is becoming even more important to perhaps the two most noticeable political groups on campus: the College Republicans and the College Democrats.

Thus far, Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore have been in a political dead heat, including in the state of Minnesota.

In a poll conducted by the Star Tribune on Oct. 20, Bush was carrying Minnesotašs 10 electoral votes. Yet on Tuesday, Oct. 24, ABC News cited Gore carrying the state. Because these 10 votes could potentially make a significant difference in this election, campaigning on campus and throughout the state has never been more crucial.

In mid April, after Bush had secured his presidential nomination, College Republicans both on campus and throughout the state began campaigning for the Governor. The 3,000-strong youth organization began to actively volunteer for the Republican Party of Minnesota by dropping and mailing literature on Bush. "We believe that this election will largely determine the fate of America," Minnesota College Republican Treasurer Matthew Camrud said. "Our country desperately needs a strong and honest leader who believes in basic morals and sound principles. We believe that this leader is Governor George W. Bush."

Under the leadership of Minnesota College Republican Chairman Eric Hoplin and Executive Director Nicole Glawe, the organization has campaigned in other ways as well. The College Republicans have actively sought free media for their candidates, and have completed both "Operation Kinfolk" and "Operation Burma Shave." In "Operation Kinfolk," hundreds of College Republicans statewide gathered to write pre-printed Bush postcards to their relatives, asking these "kin" to vote for the Governor. And in "Operation Burma Shave," College Republicans held signs supporting Bush along busy roads and highways. "We hope to campaign the Governor into the White House," Camrud said.

The St. Olaf College Democrats have taken the election seriously as well. Their main focus has been on a local level, campaigning for Vice President Al Gore through education. "We believe that this election is really issues-based," College Democrat Matthew Pelikan said. "For instance, Gore has been one of the most pro-active Vice Presidents wešve had for the environment. We want to educate voters about issues like these so that they can make informed decisions."

Like the College Republicans, the College Democrats have dropped literature for their candidate. Yet the College Democratsš main strategy thus far has been to campaign at the College Democrat table just outside of Stav cafeteria during lunch and dinner every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. There the College Democrats have been registering all voters, regardless of partisanship. "Because the issues in this campaign are so pro-Democratic, we are not targeting our [Democratic] base," Pelikan said. "Instead, we are targeting all voters."

With the help of the Political Awareness Committee, the College Democrats are also co-sponsoring a "Get Out the Vote" rally with Students for Gore on Nov. 4. The College Democrats hope to bring 200 St. Olaf students as well as some Carleton students to the event. Both Paul Wellstone and Mark Dayton are scheduled to speak.

"Wešre really at a fork in American history," Pelikan said. "America can take one of two very different courses, and four years down the road we will have one of two very different futures. This is a very important election. And I have every certainty that Election Day will turn out as a Gore victory."

Incidentally, the results of the St. Olaf "mock election" had Gore winning over Bush 44% to 35%. Green Party candidate, Ralph Nader, also won 20.2% of the St. Olaf vote. In total 411 students voted in the Political Awareness Committee (PAC) sanctioned event. Leaders of the event, while commenting that the poll was not "scientific," were surprised that Nader carried such a strong following.

The underlying message of both parties on campus is clear: "We want people to vote based on their personal consciences," Camrud said. With the volatility and unpredictability of the polls, voting has never been more important.