City-wide elections are being held today and ASUA is encouraging students to cast their ballots.

A shuttle service, organized by ASUA, will be transporting students to voting locations.

"This is a chance for students to get their voice heard," said Cara Harris, ASUA senator and shuttle coordinator. "We're just trying to get students more involved."

Voters will decide today if they want to keep Republican Bob Walkup as mayor or replace him with either Democrat and UA professor Tom Volgy or Libertarian Kimberly Swanson.

Also on the ballot today are propositions 200 and 201, a transportation initiative that will, if passed, improve Tucson's bus system and streets and install a light rail train in central Tucson.

Two passenger vans will pick up students at the turnaround in front of the UofA Bookstore and will operate between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The shuttle service will transport students to their designated voting locations, so long as these locations are within the boundaries of River Road to the North, 22nd Street to the South, Craycroft Road to the East and Silverbell Road to the West.

"We're also trying to get people into voting mode for the upcoming presidential election," Harris said.

Voter registration will also be available for those students who show up to vote but have not yet registered.

"We have the registration out for those who want to vote but can't," Harris said. "There's a competition between UA, ASU and NAU to see who can get more students registered before the end of the year."

The shuttle service is paid for through the ASUA senate budget, and is also available to faculty, staff and any members of the community needing a ride to the polls, Harris said.

Key issues in this election include the Rio Nuevo downtown revitalization project, public transportation, health care and the local economy.

Walkup is seeking his second term in office. He supports the Rio Nuevo Project, which would include moving the Flandrau Center downtown as part of a UA science center, but does not support the transportation initiatives.

He intends to revitalize Tucson economy through hi-tech sectors such as life science, optics and software development. He also touts the fact that he works as a full-time mayor, whereas Volgy intends to remain a part-time professor at the UA if elected.

Volgy served as a Tucson city councilman from 1977 to 1987 and as Tucson mayor from 1987 to 1991.

He supports the Rio Nuevo project but would like it expanded to include redevelopment of the downtown arts district. He would also like to bring back Downtown Saturday Night.

Volgy supports the idea of a light rail, and also seeks upgrades in public education and health care in Tucson. Concerning health care, Volgy has proposed the creation of a Tucson Medical Credit Union.

Swanson, a local property manager, does not support the Rio Nuevo project, saying that the arts should not be centralized but instead spread throughout the city.

She wants to create jobs in Tucson by letting businesses expand through the elimination of property taxes and business taxes. She has also proposed a four-day work week for city workers.

As mayor, Swanson has stated she would discourage Tucson police from going after non-violent drug offenders.

Both Proposition 200 and 201 must pass in order for the transportation initiative to take effect.

The initiative will fund several different transportation programs, including an expansion of the Old Pueblo Trolley and repairing neighborhood streets, as well as improving the bus system and funding the light rail.

The initiative will increase the city sales tax from 2 percent to 2.3 percent and a construction contacting tax hike from 4 percent to 6 percent, in order to pay for the improvements.

Proponents of the transportation initiative say it would relieve traffic congestion in central Tucson and is needed by Rio Nuevo to bring business to downtown.

Opponents of the initiative say it unfairly benefits central Tucson residents while taxing residents citywide.

These opponents have proposed that an improved transportation system should be paid for in part by residents outside the city who will receive service without taxation.

They also suggest that such a transportation plan should be paid for through a gasoline tax to discourage drivers, although this would require an amendment to the Arizona constitution.