CEDAR FALLS - Jeff La Mar would usually be the kind of person volunteers for voter registration drives don't want to meet.

The University of Northern Iowa freshman was already registered to vote when he came to campus last week. But this fall, canvassers are also concerned about where and how students are casting ballots.

They're telling students like La Mar, a De Soto native, to register to vote using their college address. For those who still want to vote in their hometown, canvassers are pushing absentee voting.

La Mar replaced the Dallas County address on his voter registration with his college address after talking to a group of student Democrats this week.

"Two and a half hours is a long way to drive just to drop my opinion," said La Mar, 18.

As long as La Mar is registered in Black Hawk County, he can't vote back home. That's because voting laws only allow a person to vote in the precinct nearest their registered address.

At least five groups are conducting or plan to carry out registration and mobilization efforts on the campus. The organizations include student Republicans and Democrats and non-partisan groups like Iowa Citizen Action Network, America Coming Together and Get Out Her Vote, which is dedicated to women voters. The tactics range from sitting at information booths in the student union to canvassing campus and surrounding neighborhoods thick with student housing.

"We tell them to register wherever they're more likely to vote," said Amber Hard, director of the New Voters Project in Iowa, one of the groups working on the university's campus. "For most students, that's their college address."

Russell Ferrie, 23, sees no reason to register here. He's votes back in Winneshiek County, where the decisions of his state legislators affect his hometown.

"The state candidates are actually trying to improve their areas," Ferrie said. "The presidential election is all about getting votes, not getting stuff done."

Sometimes he drives home to Decorah to vote. This year he'll probably vote absentee.

Voter registration groups say their efforts will intensify as the election approaches. They're not the only ones.

The county's election office sets up early voting locations on camps a week or so before the election. Specifics for this year's stations haven't been determined, said Kyle Jensson, elections manager.

On election day, three polling places will open on or near campus. Polling spots include University Book and Supply, the university museum and a nearby church. Three precincts in two wards cover the campus.

That's good news to senior Val Melkus, 21, who says she'll vote at one of those polls. She doesn't like President Bush's policies on stem cell research or the environment, so she's eager to vote him from office.

As for the county- and state-level candidates - some blame the Iowa Legislature for tuition hikes at the university - Melkus admits, "I'm probably not into them as much as I should be."

Adam Morris can be contacted at (319) 291-1461 or adam.morris@wcfcourier.com.