With a strong turnout on Election Day, the young voters in America established themselves as an attractive and necessary demographic for candidates to win if they want to hold office in the future.
They were everywhere on campus. In the final weeks leading up to the election, avoiding somebody decked out in Barack Obama apparel was about as easy as finding an on-campus parking spot. Voter registration tables crowded the area by the Wells Hall bridge, forming a swarming blanket of politically active students that turned the grass underneath their feet brown just by standing there for so long.
It could have been worse. Although the Republican Party lost the presidency to President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic Party gained significant leads in the Senate and House of Representatives, experts said the Republican Party fared better than expected.
Now that the votes have been counted and the confetti has cleared, it’s time for President-elect Barack Obama to begin contemplating the people and policies that will shape his administration. Obama began to tackle the first items of business Wednesday in several hours of meetings, during which he reportedly made calls to possible cabinet members.
Students who were gathered at the polls by 7 a.m. on Election Day had taken East Lansing City Clerk Nicole Evans’ advice: Get to the polls early to avoid the peak hours. “Students heard the call about off-peak hours being at 7 a.m. — so they all showed up at 7 a.m. and created a new peak time,” she said, laughing.
It is with a heavy heart that we journalists see this presidential race end. What a two years it has been! Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, the “inevitable” candidate and her spectacular demise, Muslims, mavericks, terrorists and — near the very end — a balding plumber named Joe. It has been a dizzying ride for all involved, but no more so than for the fourth estate — we purveyors of information who clearly delighted in the twists and turns this campaign yielded.
Even though Matt Damon may not approve, I chose not to vote on Tuesday. “Rock the vote!” all my friends kept telling me. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, as long as you vote for someone. The problem is that there wasn’t a candidate for whom I felt comfortable voting, even after months of research.
The MSU board room will be a dark shade of Democratic blue come January 2009 as democratic Board of Trustee nominees Dianne Byrum and Diann Woodard were elected to serve on the university’s governing board.
YouVote partnered with the University Activities Board on Tuesday night to create an environment where students could hang out with friends while awaiting the results of the presidential election.
After a long wait for ballots to arrive at the East Lansing city clerk’s office, votes finally started to be tabulated at around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday night. “We had a little bit of trouble getting the ballots tabulated, but once they arrived, the votes were counted pretty quick,” said Barb McCaffrey, an election official.
History. It was the defining theme of the election season, from Hillary Clinton’s groundbreaking campaign, to Barack Obama’s historic nomination, to Sarah Palin’s arrival on the Republican ticket. And Tuesday, history was written again. America will have a black president for the first time.
U.S Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, retained his seat in the race for the 8th Congressional District over Democratic challenger Bob Alexander.
Off-campus routes are expected to stay the same after local voters approved a millage increase for Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA. The millage is for .787 mills per year on property owners over a five-year period, which, for a $100,000 home, equals $39.35 per year. According to CATA, the millage should bring in $4.75 million in 2008.
