If you measure by donations, some working at the University of Virginia have already made their presidential decisions. Faculty and staff at UVA are forking over a larger amount of money to President Barack Obama than to Mitt Romney.
Numbers from the Center for Responsive Politics, a research group for tracking money in the United States, indicate more than $62,000 has been donated to Obama.
Camilla Griffiths, an Obama campaign organizing fellow in Charlottesville, said, "Obama has worked really hard to support especially higher education, so I think that it's fitting that university employees, university faculty are giving support to him."
On the other hand, only $2,000 was donated toward Romney's race for presidency.
Kyle Kondik with UVA's Center for Politics said, "If you look at any other university, big public universities like UVA, you'll probably find that most of the donations go to Democrats as opposed to Republicans."
At Virginia Tech, $3,500 went to Obama compared to $1,200 to Romney. Football coach Frank Beamer donated $1,000 of that $1,200 to Romney.
At George Mason, donations also gravitated left, as $20,825 went to Obama and $7,450 went to Romney.
"I don't think it says anything about Romney. I just think it says that in this particular profession, academics, generally speaking, lean left," Kondik said.
This is a substantial lean that may impact the presidential election.
Information about UVA staff donations made to presidential campaigns is open to the public. Click here for information detailing donors at UVA and other public universities in Virginia.
