Fall elections are right around the corner, and groups on campus have been working throughout the semester to get students informed and registered by the deadline of Friday, Oct. 13.

The president of College Democrats, Drew Ball, is a senior in political science. He said this month was the first time democrats in North Carolina registered more people than republicans in years.

“People are really starting to realize how important [registering] is,” Ball said. “People are getting really upset with the way things are going and they’re realizing they need to voice their opinion.”

Christine DiPietro, vice-chair of College Republicans and sophomore in political science, said the group has been registering people to vote all year long. She said it registers students at every event it holds.

She said neither College Republicans nor College Democrats were registering people based on party affiliation.

“We just want you registered,” she said.

According to Ball, College Democrats has sponsored numerous events to get students involved on campus. The group held a meet-and-greet the candidates night at That’s Amore’s Pizza, showed the movie “Iraq for Sale” and also held a showing of the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” which was followed by a forum with Brad Miller. Ball said the movies were important because they addressed issues students need to be talking about.

College Democrats also participated in Shack-A-Thon, which Ball said was great because it touched on poverty in the U.S.

DiPietro said College Republicans brought candidates, such as Judge Donna Stroud, to speak to the group. She also said people from the General Assembly often come to meetings to speak.

According to ball, College Democrats has registered around 400 or 500 people so far, but it wasn’t as many people as he would have liked.

DiPietro said College Republicans is encouraging students to register in Wake County so they didn’t have to vote by absentee ballot.

According to DiPietro, this gets students to register that maybe wouldn’t have otherwise. She said it also ensures that students are voting for officials that affect the University.

This year’s election, held Nov. 7, is known as a “blue moon election,” meaning there isn’t a presidential, senatorial or gubernatorial race at the top of the ballot. The highest positions voters will be deciding this year are those of the U.S. Congress. The only state-wide races on the ballot this year are N.C. Court of Appeals and N.C. Supreme Court.

DiPietro said the judges are important to College Republicans, because they are running non-partisan, and they hold a lot of power.

She said last year was the first year judges ran non-partisan, and this year the republicans have a good judge ticket. According to DiPietro, everything in North Carolina is controlled by the democrats, and because there are republican judges with experience as both lawyers and judges, the republicans have the upper hand.

Ball said College Democrats is hoping to host a “get out and vote concert,” but nothing is final yet.Both groups said they plan on working with students during early voting, which takes place the week before the election.

College Democrats said it plans on joining forces with the Progressive Democrats of Wake County to give students rides back and forth to polls in vans. College Republicans said it will also pass out cards informing students about the judge candidates.