College Republicans to hold primary straw poll Tuesday
Students will be able to decide whether they think Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum should win the Republican nomination in Michigan’s 2012 presidential primary.
College Republicans at Central Michigan University will conduct a straw poll, in which students vote for their favorite candidate through ballots that will be counted by members of the registered student organization.
The poll will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday in front of, or inside, the Bovee University Center and in the Charles V. Park Library. Members of the College Republicans will also be walking around and collecting votes from students.
Grand Rapids senior and College Republicans Vice Chairman Ben Greene said the name "straw polls" came from an old term used to describe informal polls. Such votes do not have an official outcome but rather gauge public opinion.
"We want to do something special for this year, because Michigan is an important state in the presidential process, due to the pretty sizeable number of delegates," Greene said. "This is a good way to keep track of where CMU stands and who has the most support."
Tuesday's poll will be the first-ever conducted by College Republicans, but Greene said it will not be the last.
Michigan's primary is scheduled for Feb. 28.
"Anytime students hear about things going on with the primary, they become more apt to get involved," said Stephanie Jaczkowski, first vice chairwoman of College Republicans and Clinton Township senior. "Since students will be more aware of when primary votes will take place, they will have more incentive to register to vote and get their absentee ballots."
