Despite efforts by student groups and administrators to promote political participation at Northwestern, many said they were disappointed with student turnout for the Nov. 5 general election.

According to Cook County Clerk’s Office records, 335 students voted on campus at Patten Gym and Parkes Hall. A number of students living off campus voted at various precincts.

The Cook County Clerk’s Office reported that 99 of the 974 registered voters in the precinct that includes North Campus voted at Patten, a 10.2 percent turnout.

On South Campus, 286 of 1700 registered voters in the precinct came to Parkes, a turnout of about 16.8 percent. About 80 percent of the registered voters in this precinct are students.

In the Evanston community, 22,832 people out of 44,187 voted, or about 52 percent.

Catherine Whitcomb, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, said she was disappointed more students did not vote.

“By not voting, you make a choice, and what you’re choosing is to let other people choose for you,” she said. “That’s just letting democracy take advantage of you.”

Tiffany Farriss, an election judge at Parkes, said she thinks the figures might be inaccurate and include people who have moved or students who have graduated. Farriss said the Cook County Clerk’s Office usually moves voters to the inactive roll after 10 years.

“That 16 to 17 percent (turnout) is probably more equivalent to 30 percent, which is closer to what you would expect for another precinct,” said Farriss, Weinberg ’00.

Cook County Clerk’s Office Spokesman Scott Burnham said students often turn out only for presidential elections, initiatives or referendums.

Farriss said turnout might have been low this year because it was a gubernatorial election year, as opposed to a presidential one. She said people must be careful when comparing figures from different types of elections.

“It’s important to compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges,” Farriss said.

The trend of more people voting during presidential elections is not limited to students. Voters in Cook County cast 904,846 ballots for the 2000 presidential election but only 377,595 for the 2001 local election.

This year NU provided information on elections and voter registration in an attempt to mobilize students, said Karlene Wenz, director of NU’s Office of Government Relations.

“Making materials available and letting students know how and where to register is about all the university can do,” Wenz said.

Students also have found their own ways to promote participation in democracy among their peers.

A group of students in the Undergraduate Leadership Program gave registration cards to resident assistants and passed out pamphlets about voter rights, said member Justin Voccola.

Making registration easier might encourage more people to vote, Voccola said. The group is looking at whether or not online registration kiosks like those used at some state schools would benefit NU.

“Given what other schools have experimented with, there’s a potential for NU to increase voter registration and turnout,” said Voccola, a Weinberg junior.

Despite working to encourage participation, there is nothing groups can do to make sure students who register to vote show up on election day, said Ted Haller, the publicity chair for College Republicans.

“We assume just by registering (students) to vote they will — but many don’t,” said Haller, a Weinberg sophomore.

Farriss said she hopes more students will vote — and not just through absentee ballots.

“I hope they will realize not only the importance of voting in general but also the importance of voting in Evanston,” she said.