In an effort to ensure voter accuracy, Milwaukee County District Attorney Michael McCann wants to increase the number of poll staffers for the Nov. 2 general election.

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Kenney said the 1,662 staffers currently assigned to the city's 312 wards might be insufficient to handle a high amount of voters registering on the day of the election. Long lines that form for same-day registration can lead to problems, he said.

"We don't really know if the current number of staffers is enough," Kenney said. The district attorney's office had to hire extra poll workers for the February primary election, and he expects the general election will require more also.

The Milwaukee Election Commission did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Polls where students will be voting will be carefully monitored, Kenney said.

He said polling places that include students from Marquette and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee could receive more attention to ensure an efficient Election Day.

"It's not because we believe students are more dishonest but because many students will be voting for the first time and registering on the day of the election," he said.

McCann's desire for more poll staffers at Marquette and elsewhere in the city is an attempt to minimize the time people spend waiting in lines and prevent voter fraud, Kenney said.

"Voter fraud is always a concern," Kenney said. "Our office will have 40 DAs (district attorneys) throughout the county on Election Day and also investigators in the field."

The special attention Marquette voters may receive this year also stems from controversies involving students in the 2000 presidential election.

Shortly after the 2000 election, the Tribune conducted interviews in which some students asserted they had voted more than once.

According to a story in the April 30, 2002 edition of the Tribune, a November 2000 article reported 174 out of 1,000 students surveyed claimed they voted multiple times.

The story reported that on Nov. 13, 2000, then-Marquette freshman Robert Bosworth appeared on ABC World News Tonight and said he voted for himself four times.

The controversy attracted national attention and an investigation ensued, according to Stephanie Quade, associate dean of student development.

"Lots of reporters descended upon the campus," Quade said. "It was very embarrassing for all of us."

The district attorney's office put in hundreds of hours investigating the claims and found no instances of multiple voting, she said.

Kenney confirmed the voter fraud declarations were false.

"It was just boasting on the part of the students who claimed they voted twice," he said. "Our investigation revealed it had never occurred."

Quade said the university is trying to ensure that students vote correctly Nov. 2.

The Office of Residence Life and the district attorney's office have arranged for Marquette students to use Marquette IDs as a source of identification at the polls. The Office of Residence Life has provided the city with certified residence lists, which Quade said include everyone living in university housing who has not blocked their address.

She said people are also encouraged to pre-register to cut back on lines and look at maps around campus to locate their correct polling location.

"We're going to try to re-double our efforts and direct people to the right place," she said. "We want people to look at the map before they go."

Kenney agrees students should be prepared and vote properly.

"It is important for students to know that voting twice is a felony," he said.