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Thursday, October 6, 2011
Vol. 100 No. 198
Voting options broken down for students
PETRE THOMAS | The Daily Mississippian
Darius Watkins, psychology major, fills out the paperwork to register to vote in front of the Student Union. Voter registration for the November election ends Saturday.
BY AVÉ MAYEUX avemayeux@gmail.com
As the registration deadline for the Nov. 8 general election approaches, many students are still politically voiceless. Some students will not have a political voice in this election
because they are not registered to vote, while others are unaware of the absentee ballot options. To be eligible to vote in this election, one must be registered on or before Saturday, Oct. 8. The Lafayette County Circuit Clerk’s office will be open from
8 a.m. until 12 p.m. Saturday. “If you want to vote in any election in the state of Mississippi, you have to be registered 30 days prior to that election,” said Baretta Mosely, deputy circuit clerk for Lafayette County. Another option made available to students is to mail in their registration, but it must be postmarked Oct. 8 to vote in the Nov. 8 election. All 82 counties are eligible to participate in the mail-in registration. Lafayette County residents have the option to bring their applications to the courthouse located on the Square. All other county residents need to mail their applications to the circuit clerk’s office in their hometown. The upcoming election includes state, district and local positions, including the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general. Three new initiatives are also being introduced on the No-
vember ballot. “If students don’t vote, the legislative bodies are just going to pass things, and our voices won’t be heard,” junior criminal justice major Candice Warren said. Many students are unable to travel home to vote during elections; however, the option of absentee ballot voting is an alternative and an opportunity to have their voices heard. For absentee ballots, a student can call and request one from his or her local circuit clerk’s office if he or she lives, works or is a student outside of the county. If a student is going to be home any time during the absentee period, he or she can vote at home in the clerk’s office during regular hours. Saturday, Nov. 5, will be the last day to cast an absentee ballot at the Lafayette County Circuit Clerk’s office. “It’s important because it’s your right to vote,” Mosely said. “Just because you’re disSee VOTING, PAGE 5
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Obama’s statement on the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs “Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world and talented enough to do it. By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: He changed the way each of us sees the world.”
Campus leaders encourage students to vote BY JACOB BATTE thedmnews@gmail.com
The upcoming state elections for Mississippi is one of the most anticipated across the country, as the state prepares to elect a new governor and make a decision on initiatives that deal with imminent domain, voter identification and Personhood. With many key issues for the state on the ballot, leaders across the University of Mississippi campus are encouraging students to register to vote. Camille Lesseig, senior history and Spanish double major, cocoordinated a voter registration table with the NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in front of the union this past week. “Voting is the basis of our country,” said Lesseig, president of the UM College Democrats. “We are a representative democracy, and if you aren’t voting for your repre-
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sentatives, you aren’t participating in the basis of what our country is founded upon.” Lesseig, 21, who has been a registered voter since her 18th birthday, said she firmly believes that every vote counts, and she added that it counts a lot. “If you aren’t registered to vote, go to the courthouse and register because this is very important, especially in an off year when we have these state elections, because it’s going to mean even more next year when we have national elections,” Lesseig said. Associated Student Body president Taylor McGraw said a student body that is engaged in state elections is a better student body. “State elections are very important this year because this is a critical time for our nation and state,” McGraw said. “The leaders we choose will have a huge impact on our immediate futures.” ASB Vice President Abby Olivier said even though the absentee ballot can be inconvenient, she encourages students to register to
INFORGRAPHIC BY PETRE THOMAS | The Daily Mississippian
vote. “Our generation consists of the future movers and shakers of our state, so it’s extremely important that we cast our vote to make our short-term impact,” Olivier said.
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Casey Stafford, senior public policy major and the president of College Republicans, said that as Gov. Haley Barbour finishes his final term and Treasurer Tate Reeves and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant
run for higher offices, that each vote will determine a new set of leadership for the state. “This year’s election will be See LEADERS, PAGE 4
Recovering: bye week comes at the perfect time for Bolden
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