I scream, you scream, we all scream for … voter registration?

Local and state representatives attended an ice cream social on the west patio of the Illini Union on Wednesday in an attempt to encourage students to register to vote in the upcoming midterm general elections Nov. 2.

The event was hosted by the Illinois student senate and featured candidates such as State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-52, and State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-103.

David Olsen, student body president and fan of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, said the ice cream social served to bring the representatives closer to the students and vice versa.

“Often students don’t have that opportunity, because students are on campus and elected officials are in their offices,” Olsen said.

Olsen added that it is the goal of the ISS to promote such an exchange between government and the student body.

Frerichs said the event gave students the opportunity to learn more about candidates so they can make a more well-informed decision come election time.

Jakobsson said she is working to increase funding to many of the state departments that need it, including the University. Jakobsson added that budget cuts alone won’t solve the issue.

“I would love to see the funding go up, but right now with the crisis we have, we are not going to see an increase in funding to anything until we have an increase in revenue,” Jakobsson said. “There needs to be a lot more cooperation than there has been, and we need to keep working on that.”

Christine Evans, senior in LAS, said she is already a registered voter but came for the ice cream. Evans said she needs to look more into the issues at hand before she votes. She added that the ice cream won’t sway her decision either way.

“There was no real information attached to the ice cream, just deliciousness plus enjoyability,” Evans said.

Chrisanna Tatroe, junior in FAA, is a Minnesota resident who decided to register in Champaign because her friends convinced her it will impact campus life. Ice cream convinced her to get in the political spirit, she added.

“When I see ice cream, I just want to vote,” Tatroe said.

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5, and early voting takes place Oct. 11 through Oct. 28 at Gregory Place, 701 E Gregory St., Urbana.