THE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO
VOTING BY The Leader
College student’s guide to the voting system
Saaniya Ahmed staff writer
Let’s face it, the voting system is daunting and seems to require a substantial amount of prior knowledge to understand completely. This guide to the American electoral process hopes to simplify some of those complications. Starting with the basics, you’ll be introduced to the jargon you’ve certainly heard on the news over the past few months. And, as you navigate the rest of this Election Issue, you’ll be introduced to more complex ideas surrounding voting in America, including current political platforms and reasons why Millennials need to get out and vote. As you move through this guide and the subsequent pages, consider how your political efficacy impacts your daily environment through political change.
Non-Residents Voting
According to NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice, out-of-state students in Illinois have the choice to register to vote either in Illinois or their original home state. Many students make this choice after analyzing which state will benefit most from their vote. If you register outside Illinois while living here, you can opt into an absentee ballet, which allows you to cast a vote via the mail.
Voting Locations
Polling places in Illinois are open
from 6 a.m to 7 p.m. on Mar. 15 for Primaries. Registered voters can use their address to find polling places on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.
Delegates/Superdelagates
local polling place and cast a vote for their preferred candidate belonging to their affiliated political party (although voters can vote across parties in open primaries). There are no discussions and votes are generally kept secret. Those votes are then counted and delegates are assigned to each candidate based on the results. Caucuses are local meetings where voters of the same political parties meet and openly discuss why they are supporting their candidates with the intention to bring undecided voters to their sides. Votes can be cast by methods as informal as raising hands or in the case of a tie, even flipping a coin. Like in a primary, votes are counted and delegates are assigned to each candidate based on the results. Illinois is a primary state, meaning all of our votes will be cast through primary elections rather than caucuses.
Delegates are the people that officially choose the presidential nominee from each party. They are loyal party supporters chosen by their respective parties that represent their states and parties at their national conventions. During the nominating process, candidates work to win delegates from their party in order to win that party’s nomination. Delegates are pledged to a specific candidate until the national convention. However, the Democratic Party allows a number of delegates, called superdelegates, to remain independent from candidates. In this election cycle, superdelegates make up about 15 percent of the Democratic Party’s delegates. The Republican Party does not use superdelegates. To become their party’s nominee in 2016, a Democratic candidate must secure at least 2,382 out of 4,763 delegates and a Republican candidate must secure at least 1,237 out of 2,472 delegates, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Tuesday, Mar. 1 is when the largest amount of states hold their primaries and caucuses. With a few exceptions, the candidates who come out of Super Tuesday with the most state wins have historically ended up becoming their party’s nominee, although it has been argued that this may not be the case this year.
Primaries and caucuses are events held before the general election to nominate one candidate from each party to continue in the presidential race. They serve the same purpose but are conducted differently. Primaries are organized statewide elections where voters go to their
The Electoral College is the system that officially elects the President and Vice President of the United States. It is made up of 538 electors, which are the sum of each state’s House and Senate seats as well as the three electors that have been Continued on pg. 2
Primary vs. Caucus
allocated to the District of Columbia. They are chosen in a similar manner as delegates. They have political ties and are often the spouses or family members of elected officials. When chosen, they pledge their vote to their party’s nominee should their party win the popular vote. In every state except Maine and Nebraska, the Electoral College works on a winner-take-all system. This means that if a candidate wins a state’s popular vote, no matter by how much, he or she will receive all of that state’s electoral votes. In this way, the Electoral College serves not only to reflect but also to exaggerate
2
every vote still counts, some votes count more or less than others, depending on the number of electoral votes given to each state. This is because the Electoral College is meant to be representative of the population of each state, so states with a smaller population will have less electoral votes than states with a larger population. In other words, the weight of the vote depends on the state.
Next steps
Now you know the basics of the voting system, next learn about the candidates in your party. Better yet, learn about all of the candidates and prepare to vote.
Not so Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday
Electoral College
the popular vote. The candidate who wins 270 electoral votes wins the presidential election. Counting votes On the state level, every individual vote counts, as those votes make up the popular vote which determines where the electoral votes will go. It is important to keep in mind that in 48 U.S. states the winner of the popular vote gains all of that state’s electoral votes, no matter how slim the difference in popular vote between candidates was. In this way, every vote counts to ensure electoral votes. On a national level, however, while
Saaniya Ahmed staff writer
For those of you who have been residing under a rock, last week was Super Tuesday and the results were no surprise. America went into Mar. 1 with a pretty good idea of what to expect. Still, that doesn’t make it hurt any less. I don’t say this as a Bernie Sanders supporter or even as an avid Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump hater, though the argument can be made that I am both of those things, but instead as a supporter of democracy. I know, I know, that’s cliché, overused rhetoric you’re tired of
hearing, but hear me out anyways. What I’m talking about is voter turnout, specifically on the Democratic side. The New York Times reported that three million fewer Democrats showed up to vote on Super Tuesday this year than they did in the last election cycle in 2008. Let me repeat that just in case you didn’t catch it the first time: THREE MILLION fewer people decided it wasn’t worth it to have a say in who the leader of their nation will be. Three million — that’s equivalent to the entire population of the state of Iowa. Can you imagine how drastically different the results of an election would be if a whole state spontaneously decided to not take part in it? Because that’s pretty close to what happened last week. People love to whine and complain when the President or some other elected official doesn’t live up to their standards, but how many of those people actually made those standards known to begin with? It’s easy to point fingers at the person in charge, but it seems we have a harder time recognizing
when the fault lies partly with us. I see an “all talk” mentality too much in this country. You have no right to complain about a problem if you did absolutely nothing to ensure the problem never appeared in the first place. When you vote, you are taking that first step and ensuring that your expectations have been voiced and hopefully understood — whether or not those expectations are later met now has nothing to do with you, and you have every right to complain about it if you are disappointed. I’ve now come to the conclusion that those three million Democrats who decided not to vote on Super Tuesday this year simply do not care if our next president is a hate mongering, racist, sexist, bigot with a bad spray tan and an even worse haircut. Illinois, I beg you to prove me wrong by voting in the primary and making your voice heard — if not for anything else, then at least for the right to complain.
Hot Topics : Political Platforms Summarized Graphics by: Graphics Team
Written by: Chrissy Croft
You’ve heard their names, you’ve (kind of) watched their commercials, and you’ve seen the memes, but do you know what they stand for? Check out our handy glimpse into each candidate’s stance on major issues, divided by their political party
— like true Americans. If an issue particularly interests you, hop online
and learn more! Read their website, watch their speeches, or at the very least read their Tweets! You’re too smart to be ignorant, and have too many resources at your disposal to sound like an idiot in your Political Science courses.
Taxes
Gun Control
Immigration
Foreign Policy
College Tuition
LGBTQ+ Rights
Health Care
Raise, particularly for the Raise, for upper class and
10% flat tax rate across
Lower tax rate
Lower tax rate
upper class
corporations/Wall Street
the board
Expand background
Same as Clinton, but with
Supports 2nd
Supports 2nd
Supports 2nd
checks, close loopholes
emphasis on mental health
Amendment fully
Amendment fully
Amendment fully
Expand citizenship,
Expand citizenship using
Secure border, enforce
Secure border, stricter
Secure border, enforce
supports DREAM Act
Executive Action
Defeat ISIS, expand
War as last resort,
Support Israel, defeat
Support Israel, defeat
Defeat ISIS, disban alli-
military alliances
increase diplomacy
ISIS
ISIS, kill Kim Jong-un
ance with Iran
Free Community College,
Free public University
Reduce debt for college
Reduce debt for college
Use Automatic Income
debt-free tuition
education
students
students
Based Repayment
Opposes gay marriage
Opposes gay marriage
Opposes gay marriage
Universal single-payer
Repeal ObamaCare, create
Repeal ObamaCare
Same as Cruz, with focus
health care
competition in the market
Supports LGBTQ+ rights Supports LGBTQ+ rights Expand Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)
stricter immigration laws laws, increase deportations stricter immigration laws
on mental health reform
5
Weighing in on the weight of a vote
Sarah Astra editor-in-chief
We all grow up being told we need to vote to make this country better. Before we even turn 18, we are filled with messages about the importance of the vote. However, every election year voting numbers are consistently dropping in the 18 to 24 age group. The US Census Bureau reported that less than half of the eligible voters of this age group will even vote. Why would that be? If all of this importance is put on the ability to decide who the hell runs our country, why wouldn’t people who are fresh out of high
school want to put their opinion into the mix? One reason might be that college students feel less informed. I’ll be completely honest, I would be less willing to vote for someone if I knew nothing about them. If students don’t take the time to research these specific candidates and analyze their opinions, who is going to actually take the time to go to the voter’s booth? Another reason is that many Millennials just don’t care. Previous generations were more focused on politics and what was going on in the world, or they were at least more engaged in the voting process. The problem is that voting is something that needs to happen and just isn’t, especially for Millennials. We are picking the person who is literally going to run the country. I know. Sometimes you feel like it is a bit too much responsibility or that your one opinion won’t matter in the sea of billions of people. Well, contrary to popular belief, your one little vote does make a hell of a difference. American citizens between the ages
of 18 and 24 make up roughly 10 percent of the population, according to the US Census, 41 percent of which are enrolled in colleges. Chances are, many of the people in your age group have a similar outlook on presidential candidates as you do. There’s a lot of college kids out there and roughly four percent of the population is a huge number. Voting is one of the ways you can have a say in how this country is run. Sure, you can stand idly by and allow others to cast their opinions but c’mon. You spend thousands of dollars for this “liberal arts” education which, by the way, requires you to take some kind of politics or government class so at least you understand how this damn country works. Use your knowledge and have an opinion. You can’t keep leaving all of this up to the Baby Boomers. Our time is now. Put your voice out there and actually give a shit about who the hell is in charge of one of the most powerful countries in the world. And at the very least, stop us from having Trump as president…
31%
OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE MILLENNIALS
25%
OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE FROM GENERATION X
31%
OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE BABY BOOMERS
13%
OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE FROM THE SILENT GENERATION
ONLY
BORN BETWEEN 1981-2000
BORN BETWEEN 1965-1980
BORN BETWEEN 1946-1964
BORN BETWEEN 1927-1945
1/3
OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ACTUALLY VOTE
6
Checking in on the Presidential Dropouts Sarah Astra
editor-in-chief As we get closer to elections the number of podiums at each debate start to decrease. Before the excitement of election season fully encapsulates us, let’s take a look back at the faces of those who didn’t even get a chance to smell the leather chairs in The Oval Office. Some of them might have had ideas you love, but a lack of support drove them out of the race. Maybe next time you’ll get involved in the political process, and keep your favorites in the running!
DEMOCRATS: These candidates were previously running for president, but have since been out-powered by Hil’s pantsuit and Bernie’s always unruly hair. With their departures so far in the past, it’s difficult to remember these once presidential hopefuls.
Martin O’Malley
Lawrence Lessig
Jim Webb
After he was re-elected in 2010 as governor of Maryland, O’Malley began his road to the presidential election. Unfortunately, his race was cut short after the Iowa Caucus when he received very little interest at all. It was reported by the New York Times that O’Malley’s problems stemmed from the fact that he gained little recognition because he was against Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, candidates who gained more publicity and votes than O’Malley could get. Though he has not said what he will do after the he dropped out, he is a lawyer, as well as a member of Celtic rock band, “O’Malley’s March,” and has other aspirations beyond the presidency.
This Harvard professor dropped out in early November, which he attributes to the Democratic Party. In a video posted online in November, he explained the Democratic Party was holding him back in the election, “It is now clear that the party won’t let me be a candidate, and I can’t ask people to support a campaign that I know can’t even get before the members of the Democratic Party, or to ask my team or my family to make a sacrifice even greater than what they’ve already made,” he said according to MSNBC. “No doubt a better candidate could have gone further though I doubt anyone could have worked harder.”
One of the first Democratic candidates to drop out of the race in October, this former senator of Virginia blamed the Democratic Party for his inability to move forward in the presidential election, similarly to Lessig. He explained at the National Press Club in Washington that the Party is not what it used to be. Webb also expressed interest in leaving the Party and going independent as he could not see himself endorsing anyone else. While his time as a presidential candidate was short lived, being in the running for a matter of months, he expressed interest in being an independent, an idea that has not played out yet. Continued on pg. 7
7 REPUBLICANS: The GOP has three candidates duking it out for the title of commander-in-chief. The following competitors essentially found themselves on the receiving end of an infamous, “You’re fired” from the Trump.
Jeb Bush The Bush family is famous for their involvement in politics. You can probably assume that, instead of family game nights, they hosted political debates on the couch. Jeb Bush, the son of George Bush and brother of George W. Bush, made the assumption that Americans would respect the Bush name and that his reserved style of debate would help him in the long run. However, this could have been one of his downfalls as Republican members who are more outspoken, such as Donald Trump, are the ones who are polling higher. With the country still in controversy over previous Bush presidents, public opinion never joined team Jeb.
Chris Christie
Ben Carson
The New Jersey Governor was one of the latest in the presidential dropouts, finally ducking out in February 2016. CNN attributes his departure to a disappointing finish in New Hampshire, where he finished sixth with only seven percent of the vote from the people. This is surprising because it was also reported by CNN that Christie made 109 stops in New Hampshire by the beginning of February, which is much more than any other candidate. Christie was known for bashing the competition and crude statements, similar to other Republican candidates such as Trump.
This retired neurosurgeon announced this past week that he was dropping out because he “didn’t see a political path forward,” according to The Guardian. He explained that he had little chance against some of the other candidates and that he just knew he couldn’t reach success at this time. He had been a prominent political figure in the last few years, but found fame when he revolutionized the process for separating conjoined twins. His upbringing and success is explained in the film “Gifted Hands”. He was the only Republican candidates, next to Donald Trump, who led in multiple national polls since the summer, according to The Guardian.
Free Move to Canada Worried about a shitty president taking office? Need to flee the country at a moment’s notce?
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