As the Nov. 7 election draws near, various organizations are campaigning for voter registration. One of these groups is the National Organization for Women of Sacramento State, a chapter of “the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States,” according to NOW’s website.

The group will launch a school-wide campaign to register voters and distribute information on the various propositions appearing on the November ballot. It plans to set up a nonpartisan booth to register voters and give out general information starting next Wednesday.

“Our target is women,” said Rachel Rickard, a senior and Sac State NOW president, adding that they hope to help increase the historically low voter turnout that college-age voters have shown in past elections.

The organization also plans to set up a separate table campaigning against Prop. 85, but NOW said it wants to be careful to keep it separate from its registration table.

“Our main goal is to register voters and not sway them,” Rickard said.

The group will also be organizing a counter-protest to an annual pro-life demonstration taking place across the nation this weekend.

The event, known as the Life Chain, will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, in three locations in Sacramento: Arden Way between Heritage Lane and Challenge Way, the corner of Elkhorn Boulevard and Walerga Road and the corner of Florin Road and Stockton Boulevard. Demonstrators at the Chain of Life events hold signs with “pre-approved pro life” messages such as “Jesus forgives and heals,” “Pray to end abortion” and “Life ?” the first inalienable right,” according to the Life Chain website.

NOW of Sac State plans to be present at these events with its own signs to “be a visual that there is a good amount of people against what (the Life Chain participants) are doing,” Rickard said.

The group also plans to visit various classes on campus next week to urge students to register to vote, said Lizz Gee, a senior and the group’s treasurer.

NOW of Sac State holds meetings from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Wednesday in the Women’s Resource Center in the Library Breezeway. Students of any race, gender, creed or political party are welcome, Rickard said.

More information on the group can be found at http://www.nowsacstate.org.

Cody Kitaura can be reached at [email protected]