When Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 visited Winthrop House last week as part of the final stretch of his campaign for reelection to the Cambridge City Council, you might have expected a standing room only crowd.

The mayor is a well-known figure and the election is one of the most wide-open in recent years. More than 1,000 Harvard students are registered to vote in Cambridge, indicating what might appear to be a strong interest in local affairs.

But only 10 people turned out last week to hear Reeves urge Harvard students to play a larger role in Cambridge political activities.

The Reeves appearance is typical of student involvement in Cambridge politics. While a few students find the experience rewarding and a few candidates try to encourage participation, students stay home in droves.

Low rates of voter turnout and campaign participation among students may have led to a diminished student voice, say candidates for Cambridge city council and several Harvard students involved in local politics.

Candidates may not take the time to court the student vote because they think the students simply won't vote.

"Students do not vote. Their record is that they don't vote in local elections, despite being registered," says former Cambridge Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci.

Vellucci suggests several possible reasons for low political activity among college students. Financial considerations may play a role, he says. Certain assets of college students, such as stocks and bonds, may be taxed by Massachusetts if students declare themselves permanent residents, Vellucci explains.

And another possible reason is apathy.

"They [college students] don't care," Vellucci says. "They're not interested. Their voting record is low. It gets high in presidential elections, but not in local elections."

Several students who are active inlocal politics agree with Vellucci's analysis.

"There is lower voter turnout among students for municipal elections," says Joseph B. Nadol '95, student campaign coordinator for James McSweeney. "Unfortunately, students are apathetic about municipal affairs. They wrap themselves up in world and national affairs."

In preparation for a voter registration drive last month in Quincy House, 400 phone calls were made to Harvard undergraduates, says McSweeney campaign worker Jonathan B. Brooks '95. The 400 phone calls resulted in only five students registering, Brooks says.

"It's very difficult for Harvard students to understand the City Council's influence," Brooks says. "There's a real lack of information. Part of our job is to try to get people to understand the situation."

"As temporary residents of Cambridge, many students just don't care," says Timothy E. Codrington '95, a Reeves campaign worker.