I'm curious about the wisdom of current campaign strategy in New Hampshire. A large amount of the population is university students, myself among them. Throughout the fall, we the students of New Hampshire have been hit over the head with event after event after event: meet and greets, debates, question and answer sessions, and townhall meetings. I'm a fan: so many events allow voters a chance to actually meet the candidates, and that's the way that New Hampshire has always been.

Now we're at election day, and New Hampshire is still the first in the nation-- the first primary. As I said, I am a student in New Hampshire. I am their coveted demographic. I did not vote today. Why you may ask? Why, as a young person who will have their most important years affected by this next president, did I not vote today? After all, students are allowed to vote in New Hampshire elections with day of registration-- simply provide proof of enrollment in the form of a letter and vote. Why, as a woman, did I not attempt to prove that women's voices are not only the backbone and mores of society but also that they will be heard? Why, as a college student, did I not attempt to prove that the college age demographic cares, that we will have our voices heard? I have one very simple answer to this, one which many university students will answer:

I am still on winter break. I am not in the fair state of New Hampshire.

I want to know why not one campaign, not one news network, not one blog near as I can tell bothered to check the university calendars. For the record, here are the return dates on most of the colleges and universities in New Hampshire:

Daniel Webster College: January 16
Dartmouth College: January 7 (And you can't be mad at people for deciding that they want to not vote the second day of classes)
Granite State College: begins this week (Though not necessarily yesterday)
Keene State College: January 20
St. Anselm College (the site of the debates on Saturday): January 14
Southern New Hampshire State University: January 7 (Just like Dartmouth)
Thomas More College of Liberal Arts: January 21
University of New Hampshire: January 22


There are two, perhaps three universities that begin in time for their students to vote in the election. This is assuming that the students were A) On time for their classes, which, should anyone remember their college days, isn't exactly the norm. B) Able to get to the polls between moving in and attending class. Beyond that, the students just aren't there. Half of the state system isn't in.

This isn't to say that the campaigning has been wasted by any means. Rather, the numbers are going to show up in the oddest places, all on Super Tuesday. I just find it amusing that the 21 year old poli sci senior has figured this out while the political analysts and campaign leaders seem to have forgotten that, while the primary may have moved up, winter break didn't.

ETA: At least I'm not the ONLY one who noticed this: The Boston globe had an article that I imagine got a little buried with all the other primary info, but thank goodness it wasn't just me.