McCormick senior Sara Cantor, who is registered to vote in Broward County, Fla., said she finally feels like her vote really counts.

It’s just too bad she didn’t use it.

Cantor forgot to request her absentee ballot from Florida in time to vote for Democratic candidate Al Gore in what has become the key state in the presidential election.

“I feel like the worst person in the world right now,” she said. “If (Republican candidate George W.) Bush is elected president, I’ll feel that weight on my shoulders for the next four years.”

Cantor and other Florida residents have been put in the unique situation of choosing the country’s next president. The election is so close — with Gore having 260 electoral votes to Bush’s 246 — that Florida’s 25 electoral votes are all either candidate needs to win the election. According to news reports, Bush won Florida by more than 1,700 votes, a margin so small that Florida law mandates an official recount, which is still under way.

Speech sophomore Liz Lyons, who voted for Gore in Dade County, Fla., said she thought she made a real difference by voting in the close race.

“People always say, ‘It doesn’t matter who you vote for,’ but it really does matter in Florida,” she said.

And Music sophomore Andrew Pellington said his vote for Bush in Pinellas County, Fla., might be a deciding factor in the tight contest.

“I really feel like I’m going to be part of (Bush’s) victory,” Pellington said.

McCormick junior Ari Margolis, who voted for Gore in Broward County, said he didn’t think enough students took advantage of absentee voting.

“There are more than 2,000 college students from Florida studying out of state. If they had known the importance of Florida in the election, they could have made their vote count more,” Margolis said.

Some Northwestern students from Florida registered to vote here in Evanston, a decision they say they regret.

Weinberg sophomore Haley Gordon, who is from Dade County, said she tried to get her absentee ballot at during the Associated Student Government’s voter registration drive, but was told it was too late to request one. Instead she registered in Evanston, only to find out later that she could have gotten her absentee ballot.

And Weinberg junior Brian Link, who voted for Gore in Dade County, said he was extremely proud of his home state.

“This is the first time I’ve ever voted for president, and I know I’m never going to forget it,” Link said.