UA students say they want to carry out their civic duty by voting, but don't believe they know enough about issues and candidates to make an informed decision.

"You don't want to make the wrong decisions," said Cliff Golon, an undeclared freshman.

Golon said students do not know much about the issues at hand to make choices that would affect the country.

General biology senior Josh Fenn said he believes students are not as interested in politics as they should be.

"I think they're more in tune to their studies and what's around them ... than what's going on in America," Fenn said.

Fenn, a registered Republican who has voted before, said he feels his vote would not make a difference out of millions of votes, but he still carries out his civic duty since he wants to prove to himself that he can make a difference in the American way.

UA students are not alone in their hesitance to vote, as a survey conducted by the Princeton Survey Research Associates discovered that youths between the ages of 16 and 29 have a strong sense of civic duty and commitment to certain issues, but feel they lack enough political knowledge to vote.

The survey indicates that youths know the logistics of registration and voting, but feel politically incompetent because they are not informed enough to make decisions about issues and candidates.

According to students, offering easily accessible information at events such as yesterday's "Declare Yourself" demonstration would motivate them to learn more about different issues.

Golon said having forums and debates to promote knowledge of the issues would help spread the information to students.

Ashley May, a sophomore majoring in Spanish and psychology, said she believes everyone should state their opinions and have their voices heard. May said a list of candidates' platforms would help to better inform some students.

In addition, May said easy registration is crucial to increasing voter turnouts, because many students don't have cars.

Golon, who just registered to vote in Tucson, said that where he lived in Indiana it was a hassle to register.

"You have to jump through too many hoops," Golon said. "Unlike here where it's in the middle of the Mall."

Other students said that aside from not being informed enough to vote, they don't have the time.

"I haven't taken the time to find out the candidates, and I don't want to vote making an uninformed decision," said Rachelle Bowman, sociology junior.

Jessica Mendoza, an atmospheric sciences senior, said she has not voted before in Tucson because she is not registered here.

"It mainly just had to do with because I am out-of-state," Mendoza said.

But Mendoza also said that she doesn't vote because she does not feel encouraged enough to participate.

"People I've talked to said 'big deal, what difference is it going to make,'" Mendoza said.

According to U.S. Census figures, 26.5 million youths between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in 1990 and the figures rose slightly to 26.8 million in 2000.