With less than 100 days until Election Day, the presidential campaigns for Sen. Barack Obama, presumptive Democratic nominee, and Sen. John McCain, presumptive Republican nominee, are spreading and looking for ways to recruit voters — especially student voters.

Prior to November, the parties will host separate conventions, announce their candidates for vice president and continue to promote their policies.

Student InvolvementThe North Carolina Republican Party recently opened a Victory office in the same building as the Republican’s state headquarters on Hillsborough Street, according to spokesperson Brent Woodcox.

It will house the McCain campaign, as well as those for state elections, he said.

Getting involved in the party and seeing the political process up close are some of the reasons students should get involved, Woodcox said.

Some members of the North Carolina Democratic Party in the Obama campaign are responsible for meeting specifically with students and student organizations across the state, according to Paul Cox, press secretary.

“Students are a critical base of support for Sen. Obama, and he will be depending on their support to win in North Carolina,” Cox said.

The campaign is using the “neighbor-to-neighbor” method, Cox said, where supporters are involved at a local level and recruit friends.

ConventionsRepublican National Convention: Sept. 1 to 4 in St. Paul, Minn.Democratic National Convention: Aug. 25 to 28 in Denver, Colo.

Although most students have already made a decision about who they are going to vote for, the two parties’ conventions could still have a large impact on voter decisions, Michael Cobb, associate professor of political science, said.

Sen. Barack Obama, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is expected to speak before 75,000 on the last night in Denver. Although the Republicans could have a hard time equaling that speech, Cobb said, the conventions should be a unifying experience for both parties.

VP choices“Political scientists, in large, tend to believe most of the things that affect the vote are already in place,” Cobb said.

The announcement of vice presidential candidates will not have great effects, he said, as many people will instead decide based on their opinions on the economy, the Iraq war and other issues.

Local HeadquartersSen. Obama130 E. Morgan Street

Sen. McCain1506 Hillsborough Street