For students eligible to vote in this year’s presidential election who would like to learn more about the issues at hand, an informative forum is being offered tonight, hosted by several UW political student organizations.

In what promises to be an engaging and scholarly dialogue, the Nu Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA) and the National Political Science Honor Society, in association with the College Republicans and the Young Democrats, is hosting a panel discussion and Question-and-Answer session about the 2008 presidential election.

Three professors from the Department of Political Science will speak on various topics, including race, church politics and human rights.

Assistant professor Matt Barreto, a member of the Washington Institute for the Study of Ethnicity and Race (WISER), will discuss the influence of race in this year’s election, particularly among Latino voters and the issues most important to them. Barreto was recently on CNN to share his insights on the influence of the black voters in the Democratic South Carolina primary.

Tony Gill, associate professor and recipient of a UW Distinguished Teaching Award, will focus on the influence of religious voters and institutions on the political process.

Associate professor Jamie Mayerfeld will speak on the issue of torture, particularly why it is a prescient topic and why candidates’ stances on torture are important.

“The majority of the night … will be oriented toward questions and comments where we hope guests will ask questions that will lead to a vigorous scholarly debate,” wrote Arian Mossanenzadeh, president of the Nu Chapter, PSA, in an e-mail.

[Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]