Tuesday marks the last day that students and other Champaign County citizens can register to vote in the upcoming consolidated elections. Champaign Mayor Jerry Schweighart, a Republican, will face Champaign businessman Don Gerard, an independent, in the April 5 mayoral election. Included in the election are the seats on Champaign City Council, an Urbana alderman position and various spots within villages in the county.

This election marks the first time Schweighart has been challenged since he was first elected in 1999.

Champaign County Clerk Gordy Hulten said he was expecting a higher voter turnout due to the media attention on the two mayoral candidates.

“Turnout always varies for off-year elections depending on where the races are, and obviously the mayor’s race is a very high profile race, so I think we’ll have higher turnout in Champaign than we’ve had in the past,” Hulten said.

Hulten said students should be more active in the community and “register to vote, participate, (and) get to know the candidates.”

Students can register to vote in the upcoming election by using an in-person voter registration form or a mail-in that requires basic information. The form is available at various locations on campus and around the community.

Hulten said the two easiest ways for students to register to vote would be the two registration kiosks on campus, located at the Illini Union and the Undergraduate Library.

“They can use a computer terminal to print out a voter registration form and sign the form right there. As long as it’s in our hands midnight on Tuesday night, it’s valid,” he said.

Mike Kozlowski, president of the University of Illinois College Republicans and junior in LAS, said students can play an important role “if a majority of them were registered in Champaign, but they are not.”

Kozlowski said the group was not planning on any voter registration drive for this election, but did have resources available for students to register to vote on the group’s website.

“You can always get a form from us. We also have a link on our website where you can submit an electronic form and we will e-mail you with what you need,” he said.

The College Republicans are not officially endorsing any candidate in the upcoming mayoral election.

Devin Mapes, president of the Illini Democrats and senior in LAS, said the groups would be visiting some of the greek homes on campus in an attempt to register voters. The Democrats are supporting Don Gerard in the election.

“It’s more difficult to register voters this time around because people aren’t aware there is an election in the spring,” he added. “The office of mayor tends to have more impact in the life of a student on a day-to-day basis as opposed to the office of governor or president.”

Mapes said students can play any important role in any election, as the University is the largest campus in the state and has many students able to participate.

“It just depends on whether they would like to engage themselves,” he said.

Additional information about the upcoming election can be found on the county clerk’s website, www.champaigncountyclerk.com.