It’s not an election season without cheap plugs, and this is ours.

One story getting a lot of play this political cycle is what kind of impact young voters will have this November. After decades of abysmal turnout rates compared to other demographics, 18- to 24-year-olds have registered to vote this year in record numbers.

While there’s no secret that a great part of their motivation has been because of a historic presidential race, young voters can arguably make a bigger difference in down-ticket races and local referendums than they can in national elections.

The problem of course, is that compared to the epic struggle between McCain and Obama, the race for 103rd District State Representative doesn’t exactly get the blood pumping. But since Illinois is almost certainly going blue for Obama, there’s not a whole lot of local drama to be had.

That’s not the case in deciding who should be representing the campus area in the Illinois statehouse. We have a unique opportunity to choose between an incumbent Democrat with ties to the higher education community and a fellow University student running as a Republican on the platform of change.

If you didn’t know that, you’re not alone. But tonight, we at The Daily Illini hope to shed some light on the 103rd State District as we partner with the Illinois Campus Faculty Association to bring incumbent Naomi Jakobsson and University senior Frank Calabrese together for a debate on the issues that college students care about most.

The event also features Democrat Steve Cox, who is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, who has represented Illinois’ 15th District in Washington since 2001.

By allowing local candidates the opportunity to connect with their future constituents in the campus area, we hope that they become more tuned-in to the needs of students, or in beltwayspeak, less “out-of-touch.”

But perhaps as important as vetting the candidates on the merits of their proposals is the opportunity for young voters to witness democracy at its most basic level – an opportunity that doesn’t come along but every couple of years.

We know from studies that habits form when we’re younger, and that too many of these habits are bad for us and hard to break. But becoming involved, even as a spectator, at an event that will showcase policies that will affect our lives is the first step on the road to productive citizenship.

Please join us and your fellow students at 7:30 p.m. this evening at the Levis Faculty Center on Illinois Street.