The creation of a polling place in the Bush Student Center at Saint Louis University has resulted in a wave of student voter registrations. Many of these students registered with the help of SLU Students for Voters’ Rights, a group dedicated to registering voters on campus. The non-partisan group succeeded in signing up more than 1,300 students, which is about 10 percent of SLU’s student body.

“It made a lot of difference that people could vote on campus. Everyone got really excited,” said Lauren Khouri, who was a Voters’ Rights volunteer and is president of SLU College Democrats. Many students registered on Wednesday, Oct. 8, the last day registration was possible in Missouri.

“Students work better on deadline . We set up our table right by the [newspaper stand by the north entrance of the BSC], and students came to us,” Khouri said.

Many students appreciated the convenience.

“This is my first time voting. I have been waiting all week. . I didn’t know it would be so simple,” junior Jacqueline Donohoo said.

Volunteers at the table on Wednesday were responsible for about 419 registrations. According to Khouri, in respect to percentage of student population this surpasses a record of 600 students in one day set by the University of Missouri. Kathleen Cadigan, another volunteer, thinks the surge in registrations might also be due to buzz surrounding the vice presidential nominees.

“The VP debate sparked more [interest]. This was one of the first times it really meant something. Not to mention it was in St. Louis,” Cadigan said.

When asked what the common response of those who choose not to register was, volunteer Thomas Bloom said, “Some people say thing like ‘I don’t believe in democracy,’ but most people just ignore you.”