Undergraduates have the potential to be the swing group for the 2004 general election, according to a national survey.

There are 9.4 million potential voters currently attending college, according to a recent survey by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.

The survey of 1,200 students, entitled “Campus Kids: The New Swing Voter,” states almost three in five undergraduates, or 59 percent, will be voting in the 2004 general election.

However, some Iowa officials said they disagree with this statistic.

Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, is the adviser of ISU College Republicans. He said there is not a good correlation between surveys and what actually happens during elections.

“In general, students are not real active voters,” Kurtenbach said. “In the last general election there was a decrease [in undergraduate voter turnout].”

Mary Mossiman, Story County Auditor, said 18-24 year-olds have the smallest voter turnout in the country. However, Mossiman said the number has increased a small percentage in the past decade.

As of June 9, there were 57,161 registered voters in Story County. Out of these voters, 11,140 are between the ages of 18 and 24.

Associate professor of political science and ISU Democrats adviser Jim Hutter said the rate in this survey seemed low for Iowa State. He expects the rate to be around 70 percent for the next presidential election.

“People in the Midwest have a very high voter turnout,” Hutter said.

Kurtenbach and Hutter said their organizations become very active on campus before caucuses and general elections. The organizations try to get students involved in local and national politics, through events such as voter registration drives.

“In the fall of an election year [involvement] skyrockets,” Hutter said.

Mossiman said undergraduates have the potential to affect the upcoming caucus. “I would love to think they would, because they certainly could,” Mossiman said. “It is a very large group.”

The Iowa Caucus is scheduled to be held Jan. 19, 2004 according to the Iowa Democrats Web site, www.iowademocrats.org.

“People go to the caucus to express their support for one candidate or another,” Hutter said.

In order to participate in the caucus, voters must be 18 years old by the presidential election, held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, Hutter said.

Roughly 2,000 caucuses are held simultaneously throughout the state, he said.

Caucuses start a chain of events leading from county conventions, to district conventions, to the state convention, Hutter said. The chain ends at the national convention, where a candidate is elected to run for their party in a race for the presidency.

“The way people get involved is primarily to go to an event,” Hutter said.

Although undergraduates between the ages of 18 to 24 historically had low voter turnout rates and participation in the caucuses, Mossiman said she hopes that will change.

“Their voter participation is very much wanted,” she said.