Students who had classes in Coleman yesterday walked past Kiki Bachelor.

The sophomore sat at one of the fold out tables set up between the first and second floors. She was trying to get students to register to vote.

“If the students would get out and vote, they’d pretty much decide what happens in the town,” she said.

The philosophy major has a personal reason to get students to vote. She’s a member of the Army National Guard. So a lot of what goes on in Washington, affects her and her family, she said.

“It’s very important to be that students not only register, but exercise their right to vote and let their voices be heard because there’s only so much I can do,” she said. “And it’s frustrating when students act like events in the world don’t affect them because they do.”

Most students were too busy walking to class to stop, even when she gave them the option to take the form to class and bring it back to her afterward.

“The type of form we use makes it easier for students,” she said. Students don’t need an ID or proof of residency to register. The form only requires name and the student’s address. If they want to register to vote at home, they can put that address. If they want to vote in Charleston, they put their campus address.

Thirty-two students signed up to register yesterday. The number pleased Bachelor because, she said, on average only 20 to 25 students register.

Justin Lopez, a junior recreation administration major, was one of those students. He was on his way to give a study abroad presentation about his trip to Australia to a class when he stopped.

“People don’t care these days, and its too disheartening,” Lopez said about why he registered.

Bachelor plans to drop off the forms today at the courthouse, which will mail the forms on Friday. Students who registered yesterday can expect to get their voter registration cards in the mail at the end of next week at the earliest.

The voter registration drives are sponsored through the EIU College Democrats. Bachelor said the group is working with the business scheduling office to schedule another drive for next Tuesday. The final day to register is Oct. 10.