Campus News

Are you ready for midterms?

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Are you ready for midterms? The midterm elections, that is. And according to many this seems to be a minor and uninteresting event, unlike collegiate midterm exams. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, an estimated 24 percent of all eligible voters in the college age group of 18-19 voted in the 2010 midterm election. Deadline to register to vote in the state of Indiana closes on October 6. The midterm election, depending on the specific state and county, is exactly what it sounds like: the country is currently midway through the presidential election. In order for the government to avoid a complete overhaul in offices nation-wide, these elections set up the representatives and local officials in every city. Not to mention the platform for the presidential election of 2016—the time that political parties start listing their possible candidates, actions they are going to sponsor or promote and other issues that will be the main focus of the campaign. Even though the midterm election is important, most college students are living too far from their home counties to make it to polls in order to vote—if they are registered that is. Upperclassman Student Government President and junior A.J. Reynolds shared the importance of voting with comparison to the recent election for Scottish independence that took place in September. “This one item referendum set a record 84.5 percent voting turnout of adults, (according to the Guardian),” said Reynolds. “While here in America we face off-year midterm elections . . . will get an estimated voter turnout of 15 percent to 20 percent.” Reynolds also gives mention to the importance of who will be elected: senators and officials that can determine anything from trash pick-up to going to war in Syria. Take about 24 percent of 15-20 percent of the population, and that is where college students fall into place. Voting while at school is not as hard as it seems. Contacting the county clerk office can be done online, and absentee ballots as well as information on the candidates can all be done through mail. If voting is not happening at your hometown, it is still strongly encouraged that you register and start to increase the participation of young peoples’ voices in the government. Eighty percent of eligible teenagers in Scotland voted in a historic election according to the Guardian politics. “The take away is this: Go vote!” said Reynolds. “Vote, because in voting you do what most others in history couldn’t do and that some in this country have died to preserve. Vote because it is not only your right but your duty. Vote because this is how we as Americans keep this 238-year old experiment called . . . the right to vote.” You can find more information about voter registration and absentee voting by clicking on the links below. Government and voter information for Indiana: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/2403.htm Illinois: http://www.elections.il.gov/votinginformation/register.aspx Michigan: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_8716---,00.html Ohio: https://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/elections/Voters/FAQ/genFAQs.aspx For more information on your state: http://www.longdistancevoter.org/absentee_voting_rules#.VC8GUPldVPE
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