If 537 more college students in Florida had voted for Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, everything would have been different.
That’s the message 22-yearold Cate Edwards, daughter of Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards, delivered Saturday to a group of Arizona State University students to illustrate the importance of their votes.
Edwards — like the daughters of John Kerry and President Bush — has been an active participant in her father’s campaign and said she has traveled to about 15 states so far.
She will visit colleges and universities in northern Arizona today and return to ASU on Monday for a town hall meeting.
"It’s a family affair," Edwards said at a tailgate party before the ASU-Iowa football game, "but I think we’re out there because this election is so important."
Arizona Democratic Party political director Georgie Aguirre said she hoped Edwards’ visit would "energize the students across the board —Dems, independents and Republicans" to register and vote.
ASU junior Cori Widmer, 20, is involved in an organization called EVE that seeks to encourage more women to vote. Widmer said she hoped Edwards’ visit would help more women her age realize how they can make a difference.
"Not a lot of young women vote, but we really should," she said.
