Even though voting will not take place until Nov. 4, the last day to register to vote in Rhode Island for the general election is Saturday.
Sam Oliker-Friedland '09, who regularly staffs a voter registration table on the Main Green and likes to yell, "Register to vote!" as loud as he can, said most students he talks to are already registered to vote.
"I think there is an unprecedented excitement about the election this year," said Oliker-Friedland, who has been working on voter registration throughout his time at Brown and said has noticed a significant increase in people answering his yells saying they are already registered.
"People have been really engaged and following the primaries and registering to vote for the primaries last semester, which made a huge difference," he said.
Oliker-Friedland said he thinks there's a good mix of people who register to vote in their home states and people who register in Rhode Island.
"Some people want to strategically vote in their home states and some people strategically vote in Rhode Island," he said.
Samantha Adelberg '11, who is from Washington, D.C., said she decided to register in Rhode Island because "my vote would matter more here." The process of registering was easy, she added.
LeeAnne Filosa '10 said she knew a lot of Brown students who registered to vote in Rhode Island even though they are not from the state. Filosa is registered in and plans to vote in her home state of Massachusetts.
Although Saturday is the formal deadline to register to vote in all national, state and local elections, Oliker-Friedland said any eligible voter would still be allowed after that day to vote in the presidential election by registering at City Hall.
