by William Dirienzo

Created on: June 15, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2009

On September 22nd, a voting drive began for students attending Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, encouraging them not simply to register to vote, but to do it in the commonwealth of Virginia instead of in their home state. Recent changes to voting laws now allow out-of-state voters to register in Virginia, sparking controversy and criticism from some who question the fairness involved in the updated laws. With such a strong advocation by Liberty University chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., for students to register in the state of Virginia instead of in their home states, many feel that the University could be the deciding factor in which way the swing state will go in November - Obama or McCain.

Both the Democrats and the Republicans feel very comfortable with the large university population voting. Barack Obama's supporters believe that the students will side with the candidate who speaks for their generation and embodies their own personal beliefs - bucking a 43 year record of Republican dominance in the state. College students certainly are Obama's biggest demographic, but in a state with such a strong record of going Republican, how much impact will any of this make? That remains to be seen, but the Republicans seem nonplussed about the issue. They stand in confidence insisting that the majority of the school is conservative and will vote for John McCain.

No matter which way the state sides on Election Day, the main thing to take note of here is the colossal importance that the school places on this election. Pressure from the staff urging students to vote and even going as far as canceling classes on that Tuesday, are actions that seem radical to some people. But to me, none of that seems out of the ordinary. Back in my hometown of Shelton, CT, the public schools are used as polling stations on Election Day, forcing all schools to cancel classes for the day. That just makes election day feel as significant as it should feel. I mean, we are electing the new leader of our country. It should be a big deal, and for Liberty University to recognize that and to do something about it is extremely commendable. It is a move that has no bias towards either major party, It's just a way to make the most of the new voting laws, which themselves are logical and fair. Besides, after living on campus for a year, you are no longer considered an out-of-state resident. When you think about the situation keeping that in mind, it's not as substantial as the media makes it sound.

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