Editorial
Take advantage of your voting right on Election Day
October 31, 2014
Tuesday, Nov. 4, is nearly here and if you didn’t know, the fourth of November is Election Day.
In the past, voters have been asked to “Rock the Vote” or demanded to “Vote or Die!” Most of you likely know the drill, but for some this may be the first chance to exercise your right as an American citizen and vote.
There is no presidential election this year, which, according to the Buckinghams, is kind of a drag, but some important local and state races appear to be deadlocks heading into Tuesday. Sometimes one vote may not seem to make a difference at the national level, but local and state elections often go down to the last ballot, literally.
For example, the Wisconsin governor’s race is shaping up to be a real doozy as incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker holds a two-point lead over Democrat Mark Burke, according to Real- ClearPolitics.com.
Despite sub-50 percent approval ratings, a narrow recall vote victory in 2012 and an investigation into alleged illegal campaign coordination, Walker sits atop the polls with his head held high. Burke, meanwhile, has not been involved in any scandals to date, and yet she trails in the polls. Clearly Walker is doing something people find trustworthy.
Meanwhile across the St. Croix, incumbent Democrat Al Franken continues his dominance in the Minnesota Senate race against Republican Mike McFadden. Franken, who played Stuart Smalley on “Saturday Night Live” (that’s right Al, we didn’t forget), holds a 10.5-point lead over McFadden, whose campaign ads run nearly every 10 minutes on basic cable. Also, expect Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to be re-elected as there is no Jesse Ventura on the ballet to dethrone him.
There is also a referendum to be voted upon for residents of Pierce County. The creation of a transportation fund is to be voted on. Basically, the revenue generated by the use of state transportation will be put into a fund and then put towards transportation projects in the future. Pretty basic stuff, at least on the surface.
Remember, the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the Wisconsin photo ID law, so nothing is stopping students from voting in 2014. The photo ID law is an interesting subject, and it is the opinion of the Student Voice that the law would only prevent hundreds of thousands of people from voting.
As a reminder, students who reside on the east side of campus (Hathorn and over) can vote in the University Center, while students who reside on the west side of campus can vote at the River Falls High School on Cemetery Road.
College students have, over time, shown the ability to make a mammoth difference in the field of politics. It’s our time to shine once again. Be a true American and vote.