As politicians begin preparing for the 2004 presidential election, two University fraternities are holding a voter registration drive to increase political awareness.

Alpha Phi Alpha and Omega Psi Phi are teaming up to increase the number of registered voters as part of the national program A Voteless People is a Hopeless People, a year-long drive to increase political awareness and empowerment.

Benjamin Jones, senior in LAS and president of Alpha Phi Alpha, said the goal of the program is to help students and community members register to vote and exercise that right to make their voices heard.

Jones said the main focus of the registration drive is on black voters, but the campaign extends to all minorities and voters in general.

"We feel like it is an important issue and that the vote is a powerful tool — you have to exercise your right," Jones said.

Jones said the program's current goal is to register 500 new voters by the end of the semester in honor of the 35th anniversary of Project 500. Drive members plan on going to churches in the community and events on campus to hand out information on presidential candidates, such as stances on specific issues regarding blacks and other racial minorities.

Urbana City Council member James Hayes said he thinks minorities believed they were being left out of the mainstream in the past, but that is beginning to change.

"(Racial minorities) realized in order to be in the mainstream they have to be political; they have everything to gain and nothing to lose," Hayes said. "People say things are starting to move backwards and if they want it to move forward they have to be involved."

Many of today's politicians get into office because they "buy the election," he said, and people need to get actively involved and help candidates who can effect change.

Brian Gaines, University professor of political science and associate professor at the Institute for Government and Public Affairs, said there is not a simple answer to the problem.

"Just making registration easier has not made a bigger voter turnout (in the past)," Gaines said.

Champaign County Clerk Mark Shelden said he agrees there are many factors that go into voter turnout.

"There is a great deal of cynicism from people who believe their vote doesn't matter ... There are issues with political parties and a failure in keeping campaign promises," Shelden said.

Lauren Kidwell, president of College Democrats, said she thinks people are disenchanted with the political process because they assume their vote doesn't count for anything. But she also sees this opinion changing because of the controversial 2000 presidential election.

Aaron Weinzierl, College Republicans deputy vice president, declined to comment on the 2000 election but said he believes exercising the right to vote is essential in United States democracy.

"It is important that all people vote to strengthen elected officials' accountability and the democracy as a whole," he said.

Shelden said he doesn't appreciate people making claims about voter registration that are difficult to back up with facts. He said there is no way to know the racial make-up of voters because that information is not submitted with voter registration. He said it's difficult to judge the voting population of Champaign because of its high percentage of students who are registered elsewhere.

"I feel very good about the number of voters (in Champaign)," Shelden said.

He also said voter registration is inconsequential if people do not exercise their right to vote.

"Since the National Voter Registration Act was passed, we've seen a large increase in people who are registered to vote," Shelden said.

The act, known as"Motor Voter," simplified the registration process by increasing places providing voter services.

Champaign is the only county in the state that sends a voting guide to every household, not only to those who are registered, prior to the registration deadline so people can get information about where to go and how to register, Shelden said.

— Evan McLaughlin contributed to this report.