Jason Poreda Columnist

Take a deep breath and look around you. All the political ads, electoral math, polling and debates can only mean one thing ÷ know what I am talking about? That's right, election season is right around the corner, ladies and gents.

For people like me (i.e. political science majors, news junkies and/or dorks) this is one of the most exciting times of the year. It's right up there with the Super Bowl, baseball playoffs and Christmas.

Last Monday we all got our first taste of what's to come, the start of the pre-season as it were, when we got our first surprise: John Kerry pulling off a huge upset in the Iowa caucus. On Tuesday it continued with the State of the Union Address, where we got to see President Bush as a candidate for the first time since he squeaked by in 2000 with a few hanging chads.

This is all very exciting, and even though this year's season is young, anticipation is high for what could be another great presidential election. As if all the buzz surrounding the national election weren't enough, tomorrow as voters cast their ballots in New Hampshire, we here at the UA will be treated to the kickoff of our own election.

The release of the official candidate list tomorrow morning marks the start of the ASUA election season. All the rumors of who is running for what will end and everyone will be on the same page. This may only excite the same groups I mentioned above, but this is a really exciting time for UA students ÷ or at least it should be.

Ask anyone who has run for, or has helped somebody run for, a position in ASUA, and they will tell you our elections here at the UA are just as heated and exciting as any the rest of the country has to offer. This was especially true last year, when the presidential race was decided by just 64 votes.

It may only be the UA, but small-time politics are just as compelling as national elections, especially to those who are affected by the results. Any student here at the UA falls into this category. This is the time where we students don't just get to talk, or write, about what we feel about our student government; we get to decide what direction it will take.

This is where everyone needs to buck up and go to the polls ÷ a.k.a. their computers. Last year we had an improvement in voter turnout with almost 4,000 people casting ballots, compared to just about 3,000 the year before. That's right ÷ I said 4,000 people was an improvement. How sad is that?

With about 37,000 total students on this campus, all of whom can vote in these elections, and we get a voter turnout of about 10 percent. It may be tempting, but the famous, "Well, I just don't care" excuse won't cut it this time around. From what's sure to be a compelling election to the possible student activity fee on the ballot this year, students will have more to think about and have more of an impact on the campus than in previous years.

For those of you who don't vote often or think politics is a waste of time, think of the ASUA elections as a warm-up for the upcoming presidential elections. You never know; once you try it, you may never want to stop.

With everything that happens on this campus and with all the talk about tuition, fees and construction, it would be nice to know that you contributed even in a small way to deciding how this university, your university, operates. This year's ASUA election is your opportunity to do just that. The election season is upon us and as with sports, in politics you never know what's going to happen ÷ just ask Howard Dean. YAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Jason Poreda urges you to go vote! He is a political science and communication senior and can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu