When faced with the looming conflict of spring break and next week's election, university and local officials alike were left scrambling to solve the problem. And since it first came to their attention in December, they have been working diligently to ensure that this inconvenient scheduling will have as little impact as possible.

We applaud the efforts of University of Wisconsin administrators and the city clerk's office for making it easier for students to make their voices heard, even though many students will be hundreds of miles away come Election Day.

From a comprehensive informational website and an advertising campaign in the student newspapers to facilitating the absentee voting process for Madison students, these efforts have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

UW's campaign, which offers shuttle service to and from the city clerk's office every half hour from 4-6 p.m. every day until Thursday, is a resource that students should take advantage of over the next few days. In addition to the university's efforts, the clerk's office — located at 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. — is extending its office hours to 6:30 p.m. until Thursday and will also be open this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

And not only has the university worked with the city of Madison to transport students to the clerk's office, they have also distributed ballot request forms to students living in residence halls and have made the forms available at Memorial Union and Union South.

While at first glance the April 3 races may not seem as heated as the November elections, students should take note of them as the outcomes will directly affect students on the UW campus.

The mayor's office, the District 8 aldermanic seat and a spot on the Wisconsin Supreme Court are all up for grabs, and students will have the opportunity to make their voices heard — but only if they take the initiative to vote. The city of Madison and UW have worked hard to meet students halfway, now it's up to all of us to take the remaining steps.

For more information on how to vote absentee, visit uc.wisc.edu/vote/.