TECHNICIAN
1 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
OC TOB ER 15, 2020
VOL . 101 | NO. 8
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Basics Voting 101: Answering your basic questions on casting your ballot
2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
IN THIS ISSUE: page
03
Major roadbloacks to voting to know
Sam Overton Correspondent
Am I registered to vote? Scan the QR code below to see if you are registered to vote in North Carolina. It’ll also provide a sample ballot for your precinct, as well as your Election Day polling location. If you think you’re registered outside of North Carolina, visit Vote.org
BASICS
page
10
Surveying NC State students on election
STUDENT DATA
page
15
Third party options gaining traction
NATIONAL page
17
First time voters share their reason for casting a ballot
NC STATE
to check. How do I register to vote? The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina has already passed. However, eligible voters may still register to vote and vote on the same day during the one-stop early voting period. If you’re living on or near campus, Talley Student Union is one of the sites that is offering one-stop early voting. It begins on Thursday, Oct. 15 and ends on Saturday, Oct. 31. If you’re going to take advantage of one-stop voting, you must have any of the following documents for proof of residence: • North Carolina driver’s license • Other photo ID issued by a government agency • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, etc. that shows your name and address • A current college/university photo ID card paired with proof of campus residency What state do I register under if I’m living on/near campus but am an out-of-state student? You have the option of registering to vote either in your home state or the state in which you attend college. If you register as a North Carolina resident, you have the option of voting in person. If you register Editor-in-Chief Rachael Davis
323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online
919-515-5017 919-515-2411 919-515-5133 technicianonline.com
in your home state and you currently reside in North Carolina, you will have to submit an absentee ballot according to your home state’s rules and deadlines. When is my last day to request an absentee ballot? How does it work? If you’re registered to vote in another state, scan the QR code below to determine what the deadline is for your state of residence. If you’re registered to vote in North Carolina, you can request a ballot online. The deadline to submit a request is 5 p.m.
on Oct. 27. There are several ways to return your absentee ballot. If you choose to mail it in, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 3. If you choose to drop it off in person, it must be received at your county board of elections by 5 p.m. Nov. 3 or at any early voting site in your county during voting hours. Keep in mind that if you decide to drop it off at an early voting site, you must wait in line with the other voters — there is no “drop-off box” for your ballot. You cannot drop off your ballot at polling places on Election Day. If I request an absentee ballot, can I change my mind and vote in person? If you are registered to vote in North Carolina, you may request an absentee ballot then change your mind about using it and vote in person. As long as you do not submit your absentee ballot, you may vote in person either during the early voting period or on Election Day. When is early voting? Early voting begins Thursday, Oct. 15 and ends Saturday, Oct. 31. Voters may cast a ballot at any early voting site in their county
technician-editor@ncsu.edu
technician-copydesk@ncsu.edu
Copy Desk Chief Sarah Newton
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor Abbie Davies-Cutting
Managing Editor Alicia Thomas
Marketing Manager Zahra Rangwala
technician-design@ncsu.edu
technician-managingeditor@ncsu.edu
technician-marketing@ncsu.edu
Multimedia Managing Editor Jaylan Harrington
News Co-Editors Cassie Englund Anna Beth McCormick
technician-digitalcontent@ncsu.edu
Social Media Co-Editors Emma Rizzo Antonio Dinkens Social Media Analytics Manager Joey Rivenbark
technician-news@ncsu.edu
Arts & Entertainment Editor Austin Dunlow technician-features@ncsu.edu
Design Editor Ann Salman
Opinion Editor Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen
technician-opinion@ncsu.edu
Assistant Opinion Editor Shilpa Giri Sports Editor Camden Speight
technician-sports@ncsu.edu
Assistant Sports Editors Nicholas Schnittker Tristan Tucker Photo Editor Ryan Farischon
technician-photo@ncsu.edu
Assistant Photo Editor Marissa McHugh Video Editor Rachel Amponsah
technician-video@ncsu.edu
Assistant Video Editor Vasanth Ramdas
— Talley Student Union being one of them. Visit wakegov.com for the early voting locations, days and hours in Wake County. Where do I vote on Election Day? When do the polls open and close? On Election Day, you must vote at your precinct’s polling location. The polls across North Carolina will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. If you are in line at your voting location by 7:30 p.m., you will be able to vote. Where is my polling place? If you’re registered as a North Carolina resident, find it by scanning the QR code
below. What should I bring to vote? You do not need voter identification in North Carolina if you are already registered. However, if you are planning to register during the one-stop voting period, you will need some form of government identification — look under “How do I register to vote?” for the list of accepted identification. Do I need to wear a mask? Masks are not required within polling places as there is no national mask mandate, but it is strongly recommended. Free masks will be available at all polling sites. What can I not bring with me in the voting booth? What can I bring with me? In North Carolina, you cannot take pictures or videos or talk, text or email in the voting booth. However, you may use your phone to look at a voting guide or some similar material in the voting booth. If you would like to write down the candidates you’re voting for on a slip of paper and take it into the booth, that is acceptable as well.
Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods. Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2011 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.
COVER BY ANN SALMAN
Basics
TECHNICIAN 3
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
A ballot gets stopped before it gets placed into a mailbox outside of Poe Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.
RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN
Major roadblocks to voting that students need to know about now Tristan Tucker
Assistant Sports Editor
With the 2020 presidential election on the horizon and a year full of historical tragedy in tow, it is as important as ever to cast a vote. With that in mind, there are several important factors that affect voting that many voters are not aware of. Here is a comprehensive guide to everything a voter needs to know about casting ballots in the upcoming election: Voters will not be required to bring a photo ID to their polling location in the upcoming election, though this could change with future elections. In 2018, North Carolina voters approved a bill that would require voters to bring
a photo ID to cast a ballot. The photo ID provision was blocked by a federal Court of Appeals, citing the fact that the bill seemed racially charged and silenced many American voices. With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full-force, it is understandable that some citizens are not going to physically be able to visit a polling station. It’s easy for voters to acquire an absentee ballot in the state of North Carolina. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2020, and voters need to have the completed ballot returned by 5 p.m. Nov. 3, 2020. However, voters should request their ballots well in advance of this deadline to ensure that their ballots are re-
ceived in a timely fashion. A general rule of thumb for requesting ballots would be to have the request in around two weeks before they are due. Anyone in the United States is eligible to complete an absentee ballot, and can return the ballot by email, fax, mail or even inperson at a polling station. The only people ineligible to request an absentee ballot are those that are not eligible to vote in the first place. Those individuals include those under the age of 18, those who are not U.S. citizens, felons or those who do not reside in the county in which they are registered. If you choose to vote with an absentee ballot, it is required that a witness is present while you fill the ballot.
Only one witness is required for an absentee ballot and instructions on maintaining privacy during this process are mailed alongside the ballot. Those who cannot serve as witnesses to absentee ballots include those younger than 18; a candidate for election, unless said candidate is a close relative of the voter; or a patient/resident of a nursing facility. The deadline for registration for the 2020 presidential election in North Carolina is Oct. 9, 2020, which has already passed. However, for voters planning to vote in person, the early voting period is from Oct. 15-31, while polling places are open on Election Day, Nov. 3, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Local
4 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Get to know incumbent Rep. David Price: His thoughts on COVID-19, health care and more Cassie Englund
individuals. Price said he finds the Trump administration’s immigration policies “awful,” and hopes to “overhaul” the country’s immigration program.
News Co-Editor
Since 1997, David Price has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for North Carolina’s 4th District, which currently includes areas of Raleigh, Cary and Chapel Hill. Prior to working in Congress, Price was a professor of political science and public policy at Duke University. Currently, Price serves on several congressional committees. He is the chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. For the Nov. 3 election, Price is the incumbent and is running against the Republican candidate, Robert Thomas. Technician sat down with Price to discuss his platform and views on other relevant issues affecting our community today. Impacts of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire nation, and the 4th District has been no exception, Price said. In an effort to aid citizens during the pandemic, Congress has produced successive relief bills, which Price had a hand in creating. As a member of the housing and transportation subcommittee, Price has assisted in developing various bills to provide economic relief for the negative effects of the virus on businesses. These include the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act, the Legal Assistance to Prevent Evictions Act of 2020 and the Coronavirus Community Relief Act. The Transportation Services Act provides grants and other forms of emergency funds to transportation services that suffered money loss due to the pandemic, and the Prevent Evictions Act creates a grant program that will provide free legal assistance to citizens facing eviction due to the hardships of the pandemic. Additionally, the Coronavirus Community Relief Act provides $250 billion in relief for areas heavily impacted by COVID-19, like local governments with a population of 500,000 or less. According to Price, the only way for the United States to stage an economic comeback is to crush the virus and get it under control. Price also cites the lackluster national response to the devastating effects of the virus as the primary problem in the decision to reopen campuses for the fall semester. “It’s very, very hard to reopen our states and reopen our campuses when there still isn’t a national program in place
PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
for testing and tracing and for getting the critical equipment where it needs to go,” Price said. Student loans and debt Price highlighted the importance of addressing long-term needs and financial support for students pursuing higher education. Price supports Pell Grants, a grant given to students who have exceptional financial need, and advocates for more reasonable student loan provisions to lower student debt straight out of college. Along with scholarships, Price said he supports forbearance, or the delaying of payment, for student loans and rent during the pandemic. Some forbearance provisions have been put in place by Congress as a part of COVID-19 relief, such as through the CARES Act. According to Price, the federal government needs to continue to improve the terms of student loans. He believes student loans should be deferred or forgiven under certain circumstances for those who go into public service, like teachers. Diversity and minority communities Price said promoting diversity, expanding outreach for minority communities and fostering a welcoming environment is vital in North Carolina.
He discussed ongoing police brutality against Black Americans and the growing racial tensions in the country that have led to hundreds of protests across the country. “This, of course, applies to the all too evident structural racism that’s built into our communities, institutions and practices, and this is made very clear from these police killings that have continued to haunt us,” Price said. Price also pointed out the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on minority communities. “The impact has not been equal,” Price said. “It’s particularly been hard on the minority communities. We need to be sensitive to that and deal with it and, of course, make certain that educational opportunity, housing opportunity, other things are robust and are available and are fairly administered.” Price discussed his work on the housing and transportation subcommittee as an effort to change discriminatory housing programs. He said the housing policy in the United States has often been an instrument of structural racism, not a cure He also said that it is important to recognize transgender individuals as a minority community in the broad context of diversity, opposing the Trump administration’s refusal to protect transgender
Climate change and environmental issues In order to promote environmental sustainability, Price said an important component is finding transportation methods more conducive to environmental protection. Price added that his work on the housing and transportation subcommittee to promote biking and more sustainable travel has been in an effort to facilitate environmental change. “Nationally, we have, you might say, a lot of repair work to do,” Price said. “We’ve been playing defense with the Trump administration when they do just absolutely atrocious things, like pulling us out of the Paris climate accord.” Price emphasized the urgency of climate change and the global climate change response. “There has to be a sense of urgency about this and kind of an all-handson-deck mentality, and with Trump, you actually get denial of it, and you get reversal of the progress we had already made,” Price said. Citing NC State as an important research location, Price said, in the future, it is important to continue work with renewable energy. Gun control Price is a vice chair on the House of Representatives Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. He said he supports gun control policies, such as requiring comprehensive background checks when purchasing firearms, even at gun shows and in online transactions. Additionally, Price supports regulating the type of guns available for purchase, saying that assault weapons should be off the streets entirely. In the past, Price said he has had some success in removing the effective ban on research on gun violence. In December 2019, Congress voted to dedicate funding to gun violence prevention research for the first time in over two decades. Health care Price said he supports the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which states insurance companies cannot charge more when individuals have preexisting conditions. The ACA is also meant to provide insurance coverage for low-income individu-
Local
TECHNICIAN 5
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
als and families who would otherwise not be able to afford insurance, along with other purposes. “That needs to be safeguarded,” Price said. “That safeguard is in place, but it’s in jeopardy.” Price also mentioned protecting the provision of the ACA that allows children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until the age of 26. The Trump administration has openly opposed the ACA and has attempted to
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
overturn it in the past. Also, Price said he supports the expansion of Medicaid, along with the ACA. 2020 elections “I’ve been at this for a while, and I have, over the years, I hope, been adaptable,” Price said. “We’ve learned how to serve the district more fully, and, of course, we’ll continue to be open to that. But I do think my brand is pretty well-established as a representative who is available in the
community.” He said he will maintain his current positions in Congress, such as chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, if he wins the Nov. 3 election. “We will continue to keep a close focus on the Triangle, on the local community,” Price said. “You know, a congressman has to do both things. You have to exert national leadership and take on policy roles, but you’re only one of 435
people doing that. In the local community, you’re the only one of those 435 who is the representative of the 4th District of North Carolina.” Price is optimistic about his role in the local community of the 4th District and on the national scale if he wins the next election. “I hope to continue what I believe is a positive record in the past and, of course, always be open to ways to improve,” Price said.
Meet Robert Thomas: Republican Challenger for U.S. House 4th District Anna Beth McCormick
something to consider in regards to climate change. Thomas is also in favor of breeder reactors based on thorium, a radioactive material that has fewer toxic byproducts, and will enable sun power with less pollution.
News Co-Editor
In 1995, Robert Thomas moved to Durham, North Carolina to work with his sister in the real estate appraisal business. As an Ohio native, Thomas worked in a factory until he was 28 years old and received a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Ohio State University. Then, he attended law school and practiced family law, general practice, securities law and corporate law throughout his career. For the Nov. 3 election, Thomas is running against the incumbent, David Price, to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 4th District. Thomas sat down with Technician to discuss his platform and other relevant issues.
Gun control As a strong advocate of the Second Amendment, Thomas believes people should have guns to protect their home in case of a break-in. However, with regards to avoiding gunrelated tragedies on campuses, he cites the 2011 Norway massacres as an example of a gun-free zone putting a school at greater risk. According to Thomas, gun-free zones invite nuts and criminals. Thomas is in favor of having enough safety patrols and officers in schools and on college campuses to oppose threats when they come along.
Impacts of COVID-19 Many citizens living in the 4th District have lost their jobs as a consequence of COVID-19, Thomas said. If elected, Thomas said he will work to channel resources into the 4th District to provide training and education. He plans to start a small business center where people can bring questions they have about starting a business, as well as offer guidance on filing paperwork and taxes. Thomas also wants to bring businesses back from overseas, stating that moving a town or community’s primary employer has had a big impact on the 4th District in the past. Additionally, bringing back these jobs will benefit students, Thomas said, since many of them would be research jobs. “I will make that my mission: To get businesses back here so that everybody who wants a job can have a job,” Thomas said.
we need to have more realistic expectations about the kind of money a person can make with a college degree and try not to outspend that with regard to paying for college loan debts,” Thomas said. According to Thomas, there may be some room for loan forgiveness; however, he believes that students should pay for what they receive and learn that there are bad consequences for bad decisions.
Student loans and debt According to Thomas, he would not have liked the person he would have become if he never attended a university. However, he stated that some people go to school without considering the applicability of the education they are receiving. “What we need to do is, going forward,
Diversity and minority communities Thomas said he is a supporter of President Trump’s initial immigration policy to build a wall on the southern border because he stated he is against human trafficking. He cited the immigration policy as “perfect” and added that a “big beautiful door” should be built into the wall.
PHOTO VIA ROBERTTHOMASFORCONGRESS.COM
According to Thomas, America needs workers when all other classes of American workers have been used up. He added that he wants to control the flow, not stop the flow of people from the southern border. Additionally, Thomas said he believes that North Carolina is diverse and very welcoming to minorities, and he cannot imagine it being any more welcoming. Climate change and environmental issues According to Thomas, he is strong in science and stated the temperature of the earth fluctuates in harmony with Mars. While he doesn’t think that humans can have an impact on Mars, he does think the role of the sun has been largely overlooked in temperature swings and that is
Health care According to Thomas, college students do not need full insurance. They only need the bare minimum package that will cover catastrophic health problems, such as cancer. “What we need is a cheap plan to cover you for that,” Thomas said. “All you need is something reasonable to fit your situation, but we don’t have that now.” Thomas recalls being “invincible” when he was in college and never getting sick or hurt because he didn’t do “stupid” or “dangerous” things. 2020 elections From his work as an appraiser in the 4th District area, Thomas said he knows the people, economies and businesses. With the exception of Franklin County, he said he won’t have to learn about the district. Thomas stated that people who work with Price claim he is not a responsive person. “And I want to be a better legislator than he is, a better representative, someone who listens to his constituents,” Thomas said.
Local
6 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Get to know your local candidates Rachael Davis Editor-in-Chief
high utilizers of jails, homeless shelters and emergency rooms.
Alicia Thomas Managing Editor
To learn more about Hutchinson and his issues, visit his campaign website.
Austin Dunlow
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Editor’s Note: An * indicates that the candidate is the incumbent Board of Commissioners District 1 Sig Hutchinson (D)
Greg Jones (R) Jones was unable to participate in an interview prior to publishing this story. To learn more about Jones and his issues, visit his campaign website. Board of Commissioners District 2 Matt Calabria (D) Calabria is a Democrat who is running unopposed. For more information about Calabria and his issues, visit his campaign website. Board of Commissioners District 3 Maria Cervania (D)
to accelerate recovery and address the barriers that limit access to health care, and support residents who experience health challenges, especially in mental health, crisis services and substance abuse treatment. Equity For All: Will support any changes to the way policing is done in Wake County to have transparency and accountability, actively explore establishing a civilian review board and conducting a regular community survey, strengthening the community’s right to record law enforcement and requiring use of body-worn cameras. Balancing the Economic Environment: Wants to be conscientious with general revenue and CARES Act funds to address needs, back efforts for rental assistance and housing support so that people have a safe place to shelter from COVID-19. She wants to increase transparency and accountability to ensure that our tax dollars are going to good use. To learn more about Cervania, and her issues, visit her campaign website. Steve Hale (R) Hale did not respond by time of publication. For more information about Hale and his issues, visit his campaign website. Board of Commissioners District 4 Susan P. Evans (D) Evans is a Democrat who is running unopposed. For more information about Evans and her issues, visit her campaign Facebook page.
PHOTO VIA SIG4WAKE.COM
What are your qualifications to be on the Board of Commissioners? Has a business career in communications. Been working to create safe and healthy communities where citizens can thrive through vision, action and leadership for the past 25 years. Primarily responsible for a 200-plus mile greenway system. Ran for county commissioner in 2014 to put a $2.3 billion transport referendum on the ballot that was passed in 2016. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues in Wake County currently? How can you remedy these issues while being on the Board of Commissioners? Transportation: Working to create a variety of options through a $2.3 billion referendum. Affordable Housing: Passed a 1 cent property tax for affordable housing, totaling to $14 million a year. Also built over 750 affordable housing units. Creating Safe and Healthy Communities: Chairs and advises the LiveWell Wake initiative, which is currently working on seven initiatives, including affordable housing, access to jobs, education, mental health and opioid addiction, working with vulnerable communities and “familiar faces” that are
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIA CERVANIA
What are your qualifications to be on the Board of Commissioners? Has an education in public education, public health and government. Worked in planning and crisis management during the early HIV/AIDS epidemic and the H1N1 virus pandemic. Developed partnerships in support of creating affordable housing in Wake County Fought HB2 and advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights. Advocated for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, environment/sustainability, employment/income equity and other societal benefits for Wake County. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues in Wake County currently? How can you remedy these issues while being on the Board of Commissioners? Protecting Wake County from COVID-19: Wants to optimize our COVID-19 response
Board of Commissioners District 5 James West (D) West is a Democrat who is running unopposed. For more information about West and his issues, visit his campaign Facebook page. Board of Commissioners District 6 Karen J. Weathers (D) Weathers did not respond by time of publication. For more information about Weathers and her issues, visit her campaign website. Shinica Thomas (R) Thomas did not respond by time of publication. For more information about Thomas and her issues, visit her campaign website. Board of Commissioners District 7 Faruk Okcetin (R) What are your qualifications to be on the Wake County Board of Commissioners? Small Business Entrepreneur: Okcetin has been involved in a range of business endeavors over the last 25 years and says that, through his experiences, he learned the meaning of hard work and how to get results. He said that to be successful in busi-
PHOTO VIA FARUKFORWAKE.COM
ness, you cannot borrow and spend your way to success and believes the same holds true for the government. Has consulted with various businesses, individuals and groups over the years to apply his learned knowledge to help solve problems and promote efficiency. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues in Wake County currently? How can you remedy these issues while being on the Wake County Board of Commissioners? Public Safety: Believes in supporting and working with local law enforcement to make sure they are fully trained and ready to help stifle criminal activity, while providing assurance to citizens that injustice will not be tolerated Wake County Debt: States that Wake County currently has $2.5 billion in debt. To remedy this, he supports looking for irregularities and inefficiencies in the budget by auditing county agencies, reexamining the budget by line item and cutting costs wherever possible. Reopening the Economy, Protecting Current and Future Businesses: Supports establishing short and long-term goals with businesses to help them in recovering from the economic effects of the pandemic. Okcetin states he has a “pandemic response protocol,” which he intends on introducing as a member of the board. Okcentin also plans to establish a dashboard where businesses can communicate their needs with the board. Low Cost of Living and Access to Affordable Housing: Says he will not vote to increase property taxes or prepared food and beverage taxes. Okcetin wants to work with the local builders to ensure more rental units can be built to keep rents low, while ensuring that more “starter homes” can be constructed. This would require the Board of Commissioners to reexamine zoning regulations.
TECHNICIAN 7
Local TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
To learn more about Okcetin and his issues, visit his campaign website.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Register of Deeds Tammy L. Brunner (D)
land and forest that can be mitigated through non-traditional agriculture, prioritizing county funding to protect water quality and local foods and encouraging urban agriculture and community gardening. Community Development: Believes the protection of water quality and “the logical extension of (sub)urban development” are competing objectives, and believes we must responsibly plan community development and redevelop our existing developments to preserve our natural areas. Climate Change: Believes this is a looming threat that must be met with resiliency planning, crop diversification, improved water management practices, replacement of aging infrastructure, installing proper drainage systems and strengthening power independence through community solar grids.
Vickie Adamson (D)
PHOTO VIA WWW.CHARLESPGILLIAM.COM
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMMY BRUNNER PHOTO VIA VICKIEFORWAKECOUNTY.COM
What are your qualifications to be on the Board of Commissioners? Has an accounting degree from East Carolina University. Worked in corporate finance for 15 years. Spent 13 years in public school advocacy. Adsomson said that she realized early on that, in order to get anything for the public school system, she had to get political. Currently is the incumbent for the 7th District and has served in the role for two years. Adamson also serves as the vice chair of the Board of Commissioners. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues in Wake County currently? How can you remedy these issues while being on the Board of Commissioners? COVID-19: States that the county has had a strong public health response to the pandemic. The county has over 200 contact tracers, has people answering phones, added nurses and created four different free drivethru testing locations. Adamson says they are preparing for when there is a vaccine so they can administer it smoothly for those who want it. Affordable Housing: Said she believes that Wake County is in one of the “biggest housing crises in this century” with people who lost their jobs due to the virus. Adamson said she wants to implement a program to help people catch up on their rent and pay their rent until they can get back on their feet. Adamson added that, in the past two years, the county has been building more affordable housing units and intends to keep that up. General Human Services: Wants to focus on issues facing parents and children, such as prenatal care, childhood immunizations and general child safety. To learn more about Adamson and her issues, visit her campaign website.
What are your qualifications to be the register of deeds? Worked in progressive politics for 20 years in Wake County. Has experience managing people in fastpaced, public-facing environments. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues in Wake County currently? How can you remedy these issues while being the register of deeds? Affording Housing and Transportation: The register of deeds has no direct impact on either of these issues, but wants to be a leader in the community, building relationships and educating residents about the office and the services it provides. With the coronavirus pandemic, too many residents are close to foreclosure or eviction, and Brunner wants to help protect their rights by providing clear guidance and record keeping. Accessibility: Will work to make the office more accessible, which includes advocating for better transportation options, so that people can get to the records they are trying to access.
office monthly. He wants the office to stay open in a way that does not put our local economy at risk, and all the while protects our staff and customers. Since March, 100% of their operations are conducted by mail, online or by video conference. No member of the public needs to leave their home or office to use their services. To learn more about Gilliam and his issues, visit his campaign website. Nonpartisan Offices Board of Education District 5 Jim Martin Martin is running unopposed. For more information about Martin and his issues, visit his campaign website. Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor M. C. Brock Brock refused to comment for this publication. She said “her record speaks for itself.”
What are your qualifications to be the register of deeds? Has been the register of deeds since 2017. Holds a B.S. in business administration, an MBA and a J.D. summa cum laude. Previous work includes being an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University.
Jean-Luc Duvall What are your qualifications? As part of his undergraduate degree, he conducted a nationwide research project on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and each state’s legislatures to determine the relationship between toxic releases reported and proposed environmental legislation. Completed a study in 2016 to assess the issues North Carolina fabric mills faced in regards to processing hemp fiber. Graduated from Elon University in 2016 with a B.A. in political science Currently works with environmental activism organizations.
In your opinion, what are the biggest issues in Wake County currently? How can you remedy these issues while being the register of deeds? North Carolina’s “Stay Open” Plan: Millions of dollars of income, and billions in capital, flow through the register of deeds
What are the biggest issues in Wake County currently pertaining to your desired elected position? What are your plans to fix them? Growth: Population growth in Wake County increases natural resource concerns with increased use and development. Land Use: Alarmingly quick loss of farm-
To learn more about Brunner and her issues, visit her campaign website. Charles Gilliam (R)
To learn more about Duvall and his issues, visit his campaign website. Marshall Harvey Harvey did not respond by time of publication. To learn more about Harvey and his issues, visit his campaign website. Scott Lassiter What are your qualifications? Received a bachelor’s degree from NC State, a master’s degree from North Carolina Central University in school administration and is currently studying at NC State for a doctorate in education administration. Former councilman for the town of Apex and also a former teacher. Is currently a professional public administrator, working as a middle school assistant principal in the Wake County Public School System. What are the biggest issues in Wake County currently pertaining to your desired elected position? What are your plans to fix them? Over-development: supports “purposeful zoning, planning and by increasing incentives like tax breaks for those seeking to protect their land from development” in order to strike a balance between developers and residents. Watershed Protection: wants to strengthen requirements for stormwater management dives to accommodate more intense rainfall. He supports using federal and state money for river/stream/lake restoration projects and wants to improve educational measures like storm drain markings that indicate where the body of water ultimately flows to. Soil Regeneration/Farmland Support: supports incentivizing farmers to rotate and rest their fields through grants, tax-credits and any other feasible support for farmers. Lassiter said that, if elected, he will work with family farmers to ensure that they can maintain their farms as well as work with them on other issues, like eradicating food deserts in underserved areas by establishing pop-up farmers markets. To learn more about Lassiter and his issues, visit his campaign website.
8 TECHNICIAN Breaking down the state and local offices THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Local TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
WHAT DOES EVERYONE DO?
Rachael Davis Editor-in-Chief
Many voters are familiar with the constitutional duties of the national offices, like the president and vice president of the United States, and even the governor of our state. However, when you begin to reach the positions on the bottom of the ballot, their roles and duties become unclear to most. Check out this sample ballot to find out what some of the lesser-known offices do and how they affect your daily life. With the 2020 election on the horizon, Technician Video wants you to go out there and vote! Between campus resources and Talley Student Union being utilized as a voting site, students have ample opportunities to participate in the upcoming election. Scan the QR code to view the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2lmnvckU0
GRAPHIC BY NOAH WEAVER
TECHNICIAN 9 Local 2020 Affordable Housing Bond referendum to increase funding for affordable housing TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Austin Dunlow
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Affordable housing has been a topic of local debate for a few election cycles now, especially with the mayoral race in 2017 and now, with the 2020 election. On the ballot this year, voters will have a direct say in policymaking by voting on a referendum for the 2020 Affordable Housing Bond. According to Rachel Zeitler, the director of advocacy for Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and a member of the Affordable Housing Bond campaign committee, the bond intends to raise $80 million by increasing the property taxes on property valued at $250,000 or more. This money will then be funneled into five “funding buckets,” as she described them, that will then be used to fund different aspects of affordable housing. According to Zeitler, the first bucket of funding will be used to purchase land for affordable housing that is in close proximity to public transportation sites, stating public transportation access is key to combating the housing crisis in Raleigh. “For the average household, housing and transportation together make up more than half of the average household’s budget,” Zeitler said. “If we can be intentional about our planning decisions and make sure that affordable housing and public transportation are located close to one another, then we can really work to mitigate some of those expenses.” Two other funding buckets are focused on investments and homeownership, Zeitler said. The first of the mentioned buckets provides money and resources for current homeowners to make critical repairs to their home, while the second bucket is directed to first-time homebuyers and would provide financial resources to help offset the costs of a down payment. “Down payments are often the biggest
GRAPHIC BY KYLE HOWE
barrier to young people entering the market and buying their first home,” Zeitler said. “The Down Payment Assistance Fund would provide assistance for that. For qualified homebuyers, that would mitigate that large barrier of having to save such a significant amount for a down payment.”
According to Zeitler, the fourth bucket, public/private partnerships, is the largest and most discussed funding bucket. This bucket will support nonprofit housing organizations and fund partnerships for small-scale development of affordable housing units. It will also fund a permanent
supportive housing program for people who are experiencing chronic homelessness. This bucket will expand the number of affordable rental homes that are available. Lastly, the fifth bucket provides funding for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, Zeitler said. This is a federal program that provides funding for affordable rental housing across the country. However, in order for states and localities to take advantage of this program, they have to contribute some of the gap financing. Zeitler said this bond will allow people, those who are housing secure and not, to have a say in helping out their community members. She stressed how the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on essential workers has really shown the importance of affordable housing. “Affordable housing matters to everyone,” Zeitler said. “Even if you’re secure in your housing, are your neighbors and community members secure in theirs? In order to have a healthy, thriving community, we need housing options at a variety of price points. Essential workers and people who are still out working often can’t afford the cost of housing in Raleigh or throughout the region.” Zeitler continued that a lack of affordable housing actually will impact the economy. She stressed that the more competition there is for a small amount of affordable housing, the more the price of this housing will increase. “That’s why it’s so important to make sure that we are really looking at this now,” Zeitler said. “We need to make plans now and find solutions now, one of which is funding. That’s why this bond is important because we really need to increase our supply of housing and make sure that the affordable housing issue we have now does not get worse.”
The Wolfpack gets political: Surveying NC 10 TECHNICIAN State students on upcoming 2020 election THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Technician set out a survey to a random sample of 6,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate NC State students with the help of Anthony Sbarra, an institutional research analyst from NC State’s Institutional Strategy and Analysis. 1,010 students responded to the survey, and within this sample, 44.7% were male identifying, 52.54% female identifying, 1.77% nonbinary or gender-noncomforming and .99% did not wish to share their gender identity. Additionally, 81.28% of the respondents identified as White, 6.53% as Asian, 6.42% as Black, 0.55% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.11% as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 5.09% as other. The colleges with the top three response rates were the College of Engineering, the College Humanities and Social Sciences, and the College of Sciences with 28.87%, 19.58% and 12.61%, respectively. 23.68% of the respondents are in their fourth-year at NC State, 23.35% are graduate students, 19.27% are third-years, 17.07% are first-years, 14.54% are second-years and 2.09% are other.
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
TECHNICIAN 11 TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
State
12 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Senate: Tillis vs. Cunningham LEARN THEIR POLICIES AND WHERE THEY STAND
Jaylan Harrington
Multimedia Managing Editor
&
Antonio Dinkens
Social Media Co-Editor
North Carolina’s 2020 Senate race may end up being the most expensive Senate race in history, hotly contested between incumbent Republican Thom Tillis and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham. Tillis and Cunningham differ on many major issues, including health care, climate change and more. Here’s a cheat sheet with the two candidates’ views on some of the issues that matter most to college-aged students: COVID-19 Tillis: his COVID-19 plan is extensive, stating that Congress should pass a bill giving liability protection to businesses that “implement best practice plans and take responsible actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” He argues for increasing the national stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other health equipment and strengthening domestic PPE manufacturing. For education, Tillis wants to assist child care centers financially to help them safely reopen, and to make sure schools do temperature screenings before allowing individuals into their facilities. Tillis supports remote learning for high-risk students and teachers, and encourages his constituents to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and wear masks. Cunningham: wants to prioritize the establishment of national testing and contact tracing, headed by the CDC, while financially supporting companies working on vaccines. Cunningham wants New Deal-like national programs to create “hundreds of thousands” of jobs in rebuilding infrastructure and in public health. In Cunningham’s reopening plan, he also states that he wants a task force that will look at racial disparities in both testing and diagnoses and use that information to improve the distribution of aid and supplies. Cunningham wants to support schools and argues all instruction should be done remotely, with federal financial support for budget deficits at all levels of education because of this. Title IX/Sexual Assault Tillis: signed onto a letter concerned with sexual assault and domestic violence being exacerbated due to COVID-19. The letter asked for more funding for a multitude of programs, including ones aimed at assisting abused parents and their children, tribes and
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY UNITED STATES SENATE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
tribal organizations. Tillis voted to confirm U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s appointment in 2017. Cunningham: in an OP-ED published in the Daily Tar Heel, Cunningham said he would reinstate protections that DeVos rolled back. Cunningham also said in the OP-ED that he would strengthen Title IX enforcement. Climate Change Tillis: supports investing in solar energy, arguing against solar tariffs instituted by the Trump administration. Tillis wants a “market-driven” strategy for combating climate change. Cunningham: wants to focus on investing in clean energy, specifically solar energy. He also argues for passing legislation to reduce carbon pollution and protect the environment from pollution, like coal ash and GenXtainted drinking water. Health care Tillis: against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which he arg ues has
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY STEVE WILSON
Cal Cunningham, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.
caused premiums to “skyrocket.” He also believed “Medicare for All” would “bankrupt the country.” Tillis believes those with preexisting conditions should receive equal coverage, and is in favor of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a program for children who have families that cannot afford health care and do not qualify for Medicaid. Cunningham: wants to strengthen and expand coverage under the ACA, expanding Medicaid and keeping all current Medicare benefits. He also wants to have protections for people with preexisting conditions and disallow higher insurance costs for his older constituents. Racial Equality Tillis: was a leading force in passing a 2011 bill that required those convicted of felonies in North Carolina, to be supervised for nine to 12 months after their release. Tillis says the law has resulted in a 10.6% decrease in recidivism rates and saved hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Tillis was against a 2020 House bill that would ban police use of chokeholds, noknock warrants and reform qualified im-
munity among other police reforms.The bill passed in the House but has not received a vote on the Senate floor. Tillis’ preferred reforms were expanding use of body cameras and deescalation training. Cunningham: called for a permanent task force to study and address “ongoing inequities” in health care, as well as ending redlining and helping minority-owned businesses receive funding in their communities. He also wants to reform the criminal justice system. Cunningham is for “revisiting” mandatory minimums for nonviolent offenses, abolishing for-profit prisons and “curbing the abuse” of cash bail. He also has said marijuana should no longer be a schedule I drug, with states deciding its legality. In the wake of the countless murders of unarmed Black men and women by police, Cunningham said he supported limiting qualified immunity, which gives police officers a level of protection against prosecution. He is for deescalation training, prohibiting chokeholds and limiting no-knock warrants. Cunningham also wants to “address the use of deadly force,” while still allowing officers to defend themselves.
TECHNICIAN 13
State TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Governor: Cooper vs. Forest LEARN THEIR POLICIES AND WHERE THEY STAND
ergy innovation.” The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) plan set a goal of 80,000 registered zero emission vehicles in the state by 2025. The Motor Fleet ZEV plan found that over 500 state vehicles could be made efficient, which could save North Carolina $3.8 million. Forest: Is the chair of the North Carolina Energy Policy Council. Forest wants to encourage innovation to lower the costs of natural gas recovery, as well as alternative and renewable energies. Health care Cooper: Helped write and pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which helps families that cannot afford health care and do not qualify for Medicaid receive insurance for their children. Cooper is also for expanding Medicaid, and enacted an Opioid Action Plan to combat addiction. Cooper was against a small business health act that passed in 2019, due to concerns about some people not getting the amount of coverage they should for preexisting conditions.
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY CHRIS SEWARD
Incubment Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Jaylan Harrington
Multimedia Managing Editor
The 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial race pits incumbent Democrat Roy Cooper against challenging Republican Dan Forest, the state’s current lieutenant governor. Cooper and Forest have a frosty relationship given major disagreements over issues like the state’s COVID-19 response and reopening schools. Here’s a quick cheat sheet of their stances on some issues most important to college-aged students: COVID-19 Cooper: Spearheaded the state’s COVID-19 response, issued a mask-wearing mandate in June and enforced a stayat-home order beginning in March and ending in late May. Cooper consistently updated his constituents with information in regular press conferences with Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Mandy Cohen. Forest: Sparred with multiple aspects of Cooper’s COVID-19 response strate-
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY ANDREW DUNN013.
Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Republican candidate for governor.
gies. If elected governor, Forest said he will repeal any mask mandate, saying “I don’t think there’s any science that backs [mask mandates] up.” In mid-August, Forest dropped a lawsuit against Cooper over Cooper’s authority to create COVID-19 executive orders. He also wanted to fully reopen schools. A member of the state Board of Education, Forest attempted to pass a motion in October that would fully reopen all K-12 schools, but the board ruled it out of order. House Bill 2/Sexual Assault Cooper: As attorney general, Cooper refused to defend the state in lawsuits over House Bill 2 (HB2), calling it unconstitutional. The bill, which was seen as discriminatory towards transgender individuals, required individuals to use the bathroom that coincides with the sex listed on their birth certificate. The law was repealed when Cooper became governor. Cooper also signed Senate Bill 199, which gave North Carolinians the right to revoke consent after consenting to sex,
and it instituted a mandatory reporting requirement for people 18 or older who have knowledge of sexual assaults or other abuses of juveniles. The bill also expanded the statute of limitations for misdemeanor child abuse charges. Cooper signed the Survivor Act into law in September of 2019 which provided $6 million dollars to test sexual assault kits. The act also requires law enforcement to submit a kit for testing within 45 days of its collection. Forest: Opposed the repeal of HB2, saying, “We are yielding the moral high ground” by giving into pressure to repeal the law. According to his campaign website, Forest wants to “clear the rape kit backlog.” Climate Change Cooper: His Climate Change Interagency Council created four plans in 2019, all relating to the environment. The Clean Energy plan is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and finding ways to “accelerate clean en-
Forest: Supported the Small Business Health Care Act, and he is against the Affordable Care Act. Forest backed the Trump health care plan, which he says expands affordable insurance options, reduces the cost of prescription drugs and protects patients with preexisting conditions. Racial Equality Cooper: Created a Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, which recommended law enforcement agencies have policies emphasizing the duty of officers to intervene and report cases of excessive force. The task force also recommended neck holds be prohibited, and that the North Carolina Supreme Court assess its levying of fines and fees on defendants. Another major recommendation was racial equity training for court personnel in the Administrative Office of the Courts. Forest: Does not believe “that the vast majority of Americans think we have a systemic racism problem.” During North Carolina protests and in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Forest released a statement aimed at rioters, saying in part, “Our state does not support police brutality or support rioting, looting and burning of property of those who had nothing to do with that brutality… Both are wrong.”
National
14 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
President: Trump vs. Biden LEARN THEIR POLICIES AND WHERE THEY STAND
Jaylan Harrington
Multimedia Managing Editor
If you are still trying to decide which box to check on Election Day, here’s a quick read with the two presidential candidates’ positions on the major issues most important to collegeaged students. Republican incumbent, President Donald Trump, is running for reelection against the Democratic candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden. COVID-19 Trump: has been accused of downplaying COVID-19 in an attempt to avoid panic from the American people. After he and other senior White House staff members tested positive for the virus, Trump posted a video on Twitter where he said, “Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it,” before adding, “Vaccines are coming momentarily.” Trump is often seen not wearing a mask at rallies and public outings. Trump has refused to issue a nationwide mask mandate or a national stay-at-home order. While the administration initially held daily COVID-19 task force press briefings, the administration went almost two months without a public briefing prior to a June 25 briefing led by Vice President Mike Pence. Biden: laid out a seven-step plan on his website that includes nationwide mask mandates, distribution of a vaccine when one comes available, providing the correct personal protective equipment to businesses and cities and rebuilding defenses used to predict and fight pandemic threats. Title IX/Sexual Assault Trump: back in March, the Trump administration announced new Title IX regulations in K-12 schools, raising the threshold of proof from “preponderance of evidence” to “clear and convincing evidence,” after meetings with assault survivors and “falsely accused” students. This change creates a higher bar to prove sexual assault and harassment. At least 26 women have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault. Biden: in Biden’s plan to end violence against women, Biden said he was against the Trump administration’s new Title IX guidelines. Biden’s plan mentions strengthening Title IX and Clery Act enforcement, which mandates campus police to report crime in a timely manner to students. He also wants college administrators and staff to be trained in how to better support sexual assault and other gender-based violence survivors. Biden has been accused of a 1993 sexual as-
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD
Incumbent Republican President Donald Trump.
sault by Tara Reade, who was a staffer for Biden at the time. Climate Change Trump: has often called climate change a hoax and is trying to keep the nonrenewable energy industries as profitable as possible. In the first presidential debate, he stated the fires on the West Coast were due to poor forest management. He has attempted to relax greenhouse emissions benchmarks during his time in office that were put in place to slow the warming of the planet. Trump also withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, which was created during the Obama/Biden administration. The agreement, described by the Obama administration as “the most ambitious climate change agreement in history” saw over 190 countries agree to voluntarily reduce emissions in order to keep the Earth’s average temperature from rising 2 degrees Celsius. Biden: acknowledges the danger of climate change and outlines a clean energy revolution on his website to move toward a 100%
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY GAGE SKIDMORE
Former Vice President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate.
clean-energy economy by 2050. This plan also includes investing more than $1.7 trillion of federal money in the next 10 years in renewable energy and “environmental justice.” Health care Trump: continues to work on overturning the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after repealing the individual mandate, which required every person in America to have health insurance or pay a penalty. In September, Trump signed an executive order to implement his America First Health Care Plan, specifically aimed at giving people lower costs and more affordable options for those with preexisting conditions. In 2019, Trump said he was pro-life with exceptions. Biden: passed the ACA during his vice presidency. If elected, Biden plans to protect and improve the act by “giving Americans more choice, reducing health care costs, and making our health care system less complex to navigate.” Biden wants to pass legislation that will reduce prescription drug prices, federally fund Planned Parenthood and protect women’s right to abortions.
Racial Equality Trump: in the first debate, when asked to condemn white supremacists for violence during protests, he stated protestors were to blame. Trump ended racial sensitivity training in federal workplaces, saying it is “divisive, antiAmerican propaganda.” In the wake of Charlottesville protests against white supremacy in 2017, in which Heather Heyer was murdered by a white supremacist, Trump stated there was blame on both sides. Trump said the Black Lives Matter movement is hurting the Black community, stating the organization’s ideology and tactics are “destroying Black lives.” Biden: lays out his Build Back Better agenda, involving billions of dollars being invested into infrastructure, education, housing, small businesses and more. Read full coverage on our website: technicianonline.com
TECHNICIAN 15
National TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Third-party options gaining traction among young voters at NC State Tristan Tucker
Assistant Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: For the sake of anonymity, the four students interviewed will be referred to as student A, student B, student C and student D. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and the incumbent Republican president Donald Trump are constantly in the news for the 2020 election cycle. Voters have been gearing up for months in order to cast their votes for one of the two prominent candidates, with pessimism about both candidates growing by the day. However, there is an option available for those that do not align with either Biden or Trump but still wish to be politically active. This option is to vote for a third-party candidate in the upcoming election, such as the Green Party or the Libertarian Party. There are countless reasons why people choose not to vote third party in elections, with many claiming that voting for third-party candidates is throwing away a vote and others not being fully educated on platforms outside of the Democratic and Republican parties. “I think this aversion to voting third party is a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said student A, a third-year studying economics. “That ‘If you vote third party, you’re just throwing your vote away’ and so no one votes third party, so they don’t get enough votes. It’s a feedback loop. The only way to get away from that self-fulfilling prophecy is to disregard it entirely so it ceases to be valid.” For some, the 2020 election cycle evokes f lashbacks of the 2016 presidential election cycle, which involved Trump and then-Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. Two elections in a row have generated candidates that the general populace seems to be unenthused by, with a growing resentment evolving in voters that oppose the traditional twoparty system. “I like to consider myself moderate; I also hate the two-party system,” said student B, a first-year studying engineering. “I mean I’m registered unaffiliated for a reason. To say that I’d vote for a third party, I’m not quite sure because unless there were enough people to vote for a third-party candidate, it would just be throwing away a vote in my opinion.” With more and more young voters beginning to resent the two-party form of government in the United States, candidates like 2020 Libertarian candidate
Jo Jorgensen are drawing more interest by the day. “It’s just what I align most with politically,” said student A, who is voting for Jorgensen. “Essentially the core philosophies being ‘What the government giveth, the government can taketh away’, so this emphasis on individual choice and small government, it aligns with my political philosophy.” Among young voters at NC State, there seems to be a consensus that there are some Libertarian Party platforms that are agreeable and appealing, even if these voters aren’t necessarily voting Libertarian. “The Libertarian view is that we should not be using taxpayer dollars to bail out corporations,” said student C, a firstyear studying nuclear engineering. “We say we are for capitalism, but we are using taxpayer dollars to bail out airline companies who made poor decisions… Bailing out those people is something I don’t agree with. That is a third-party policy I would love to support. However, if I vote for the third-party candidate, they’re not going to get elected, so that change won’t happen.” Another Libertarian Party position that stuck with young voters is the party’s stance on the legalization of marijuana. Bill Weld, who ran with thenLibertarian candidate Gary Johnson in 2016 as a Libertarian and opposed Trump as a Republican in the primaries in 2020, was a huge proponent of the legalization of marijuana. “Marijuana, specifically, I’m for the legalization of that,” said student D, a first-year studying engineering. “I don’t think that either Joe Biden or Donald Trump have that as a forefront of their campaigns. Also what’s concerning to me is that Joe Biden has Kamala Harris and her background as [attorney general] wasn’t really great because she locked up a lot of people for very petty marijuana possession charges.” In 2016, Johnson and then-Green Party candidate Jill Stein received about 5% of the total vote combined, a significant dent in the election. “Well, I mean, if you look at the registration of new voters in the past several years, and you’ll start noticing that those people are registering unaffiliated,” student B said. “So I don’t see the two-party system being anywhere near as powerful as it is currently. I could definitely see a third party start to rise.” A common theme among all students interviewed was the desire for thirdparty candidates to receive more media
Jo Jorgensen, Libertarian presidential candidate
attention. “A two-party system itself isn’t technically bad, but when you have other parties that are perfectly viable, it does create a false dichotomy of choice,” student A said. “I think the duopoly is often perpetuated by lobbyist groups and the media. I mean when’s the last time you’ve heard Jo Jorgensen’s name on TV? Never. I think the lack of media coverage on third-party candidates sort of accentuates that.” Student A and student D both made the decision to vote for the Libertarian candidate, Jorgensen, in the 2020 general election, but all four students expressed disgust with the bipartisan United States government as it exists now. “The fact that in basically any given office we only have two choices is really disappointing,” student C said. “It really just proves we really need to overhaul the system. Whether that means breaking up the political parties or completely doing
VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. BY GAGE SKIDMORE
away with political parties. And, with that, there’s gonna have to be some major campaign finance reform and other stuff… But I do think that that would be a productive thing for our nation to do.” There are many different candidates for voters to choose from in the general election aside from Trump, Biden and Jorgensen, including Howie Hawkins, another Green Party candidate; Brock Pierce, an independent candidate; and Don Blankenship, a Constitution Party candidate. “There’s a need for greater diversity,” student C said. “America is such a diverse nation… We have a wealth of ideas and perspectives on political beliefs, but now we only have two choices. I feel like it’s really sad...especially with how much diversity this country does have, racially, ethnically and also in terms of straight up political ideas. There is a clear need for more diversity that is just not represented in the current two-party system.”
NC State 16 TECHNICIAN Local organizations could feel political impact of local, state and federal elections THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Austin Dunlow
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Many voters tend to understand the importance of the national and local elections in their everyday lives. One thing that tends to be overlooked, however, is the national and local elections’ impact on local organizations. Organizations like the LGBT Center of Raleigh and Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and a variety of other institutions could be impacted from the elections through their funding, clients, mission and more, due to the political interests and leanings that surround them. Holly Gallagher, advocacy coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, said part of her job is advocating for local, state and federal policies that will increase access to affordable housing opportunities, a major topic of political debate in Raleigh. Gallagher said offices that many people don’t pay attention to, like county commissioners, can have major impacts on housing affordability and therefore, her organization. “Making sure people know first and foremost who is on their ballot and how that ties into housing in particular, because that is our issue at Habitat Wake, is really important to us,” Gallagher said. “The Affordable Housing Bond is a great example of a local policy that is going to have a major impact on housing afford-
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
ability in Raleigh.” Furthermore, Gallagher said some of these local public office positions offices have an impact on local organizations, especially nonprofits, and how they receive funding. According to Gallagher, some of these offices have the ability to give Community Development Block Grants to community-serving nonprofit organizations, like Habitat for Humanity of Wake County. Kori Hennessey, director of education and programs at the LGBT Center of Raleigh, said to be mindful that policies implemented at the national level do trickle down to the local level. They said the LGBT Center’s primary goal is to create a sense of community for people who have historically been seen as less than. Hennessey said policies implemented by local, state and federal politicians can contribute to this feeling of otherness and makes the center’s role even more necessary, despite the challenges. Hennessey said voters should be mindful of the Supreme Court nomination because the decisions handed down by the Supreme Court could drastically affect the lives and livelihoods of the people that the LGBT Center of Raleigh serves. “The president is not the only person that makes the rules or makes the laws,” Hennessey said. “Be very understanding that, depending on how the election goes, we potentially could be losing a lot more of the rights that we’ve been fighting for
MARISSA MCHUGH/TECHNICIAN
An exterior shot of the Habitat for Humanity of Wake County ReStore on Tuesday, Oct. 14th, 2020.
for decades.” Gallagher encourages anyone eligible to vote to do so because she believes voting is an essential part of advocating for your own personal beliefs and values. “Voting is, at its most simple form, a form of advocacy because you’re choosing who to put into office based on issues that matter to you, whatever they may be,” Gallagher said. “I think voting is incredibly important, and I hope we see increased voter turnout across the
country because it is a form of advocacy in itself.” Hennessey wants to remind everyone who is worried about the impact of the election that these organizations are going to do whatever they possibly can to help the communities that they serve, regardless of the results. “We’re going to be here for you, no matter what happens,” Hennessey said. “We’re going to do our best to be that support.”
NC State student voter engagement breakdown 2016, 2018 elections Abbie Davies-Cutting
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
As a way to track voter engagement at NC State, the University participates in The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE). This program is run by Tufts University, and is the first and only study to objectively look at student voting data and to share the data with participating universities. According to Brian Mathis, associate director of Leadership and Civic Engagement, NC State and the other campuses involved in the study release student enrollment records and then compare it with public national voter data. The data NC State releases to the study includes a student’s political affiliation, Mathis said, which is then used by Tufts to create a report for NC State to gauge
voter engagement metrics for the University. According to the NSLVE, during the 2016 presidential election, there 28,833 eligible voters out of 33,598 NC State students. Of those students, 54.3% voted in the election, just slightly higher than the study’s average voting rate for all participating institutions (50.4%). According to the report, 71.7% of NC State students were registered to vote in 2016. In 2018, 35,414 students were enrolled at the University, more students than in 2016. 75.1% of NC State students registered for the 2018 midterms, a very similar number to those registered in 2016. In 2018, 41.8% of the 30,289 eli-
LOCAL continued page 18
RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN
NC State
TECHNICIAN 17
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
First-time voters share their reason for casting a ballot in the 2020 election Heidi Reid
Correspondent
First-time voters are preparing to cast their vote as Election Day gets closer. While most new voters interviewed by Technician felt that neither candidate is fit for office, many realize the significance of the 2020 elections and still plan to head to the voting booths on Nov. 3. Mireille Soss, a first-year studying nutrition, said that she does not feel excited to vote, but she does feel that voting is her responsibility and civic duty. “It would be foolish not to since who’s in office has a direct effect on those I care about,” Soss said. “I do not believe that there is a certain way that the rest of my age group feels. Some people are choosing not to vote because they want to ‘stay out of politics’. I know other people who are very passionate. It really just depends on the person.” Zoe Patterson, a first-year studying fashion and textiles management, agrees. She said she is not apathetic about voting because she knows how important the presidential election is. Patterson said she believes many first-time voters may be more motivated to vote in this election because a lot is at stake. Jenna Marks, a first-year studying environmental science, said she believes that many people her age feel nervous to vote. “A lot of people I know are Democrat but have grown up with parents who are Republican, so there are some conflicting viewpoints that cause anxiety around voting,” Marks said. While some first-time voters may not be excited, the current political atmosphere prompts many young adults to participate in the election. “I think voters are more motivated because politics are starting to affect our personal lives, now more than ever, because of COVID-19,” Soss said. “Democrats and Republicans now have such opposite views and more differences than in previous years, and not as many people would be fine with either candidate winning.” Margaret Ann Edel, a first-year studying animal science, said while her peers are motivated to vote, many roadblocks stand in the way of casting a ballot for first-time voters, including being registered to vote. Many of the students interviewed chose to register through the DMV, when they get their driver’s licenses; however, some students don’t receive that opportunity. “I registered through the N.C. government website in early July 2020, but when I checked my registration status again in September, multiple different registration sites told me that I wasn’t actually registered,” Edel said. “I registered again, but this process was a bit confusing and could be a big problem for first-time voters if the online registration applications don’t always go through.” Patterson believes the biggest obstacle for young voters could be the lack of motivation
RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN
A shot of students lined up all wearing “I Voted Today” stickers in Witherspoon Student Center on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.
to form individual opinions. “New voters have to learn to form their own individual opinions separate from their parents,” Patterson said. “They have to be motivated to learn the right information, and they need to be motivated to register and actually vote.” Marks said she believes the influence of the media may prove to be a large obstacle for firsttime voters trying to build individual opinions and beliefs for young voters. “I believe the misinformation of the internet and media makes it increasingly difficult to know who to vote for, especially for young voters,” Marks said. Many of the students interviewed felt that voting for a third-party candidate was a wasted vote. Gabe Williams, a first-year studying electrical engineering and linguistics, said he credits this to the overwhelming authority of the two-party system. “Unless any of the third-party candidates gain a significant backing, it does feel like a wasted vote,” Williams said. “The dominance of the two-party system has made third-party candidates feel very underwhelming in the presidential election.” Edel said she believes that in this particular presidential election, she is casting her ballot in hopes of replacing the current president. She said that if she had voted for a third-party candidate, she would’ve wasted her vote. Marks also said she considered voting third party in the presidential election because she disliked both candidates, but changed her mind. Instead of voting based on party affiliation,
young voters like Marks have chosen to register as an independent and vote based on their own research of the candidates and which current political issues they believe matter. “I am voting based on which candidate I dislike the least, considering I don’t like either option,” Marks said. “I did research through watching the news and reading articles and then basing that information on what I have learned in classes, such as economics and government, to determine who I believe would benefit the country most.” Williams says that although he voted for more Democratic candidates, he voted based on his own judgement and not by party affiliation. “For the larger positions, such as president and vice president, I had an opinion beforehand and acted on my knowledge of the candidates,” Williams said. “For smaller offices, such as the school board, I looked up transcripts of meetings and interviews to get a better grasp of the candidates. I didn’t feel comfortable blindly voting for strictly one party or the other, so some brief research to learn more was super helpful.” Young voters like Marks said that the issues they are most concerned about include racial equality, climate change education, immigration policy, LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights for women. “One issue that was a deciding factor for me was the protection of women’s rights,” Marks said. “Planned Parenthood is crucial to the quality of life for women all across the country, and without sufficient funds, lives will be
put at risk. This is something that needs to be taken into consideration when voting for our next president.” Similar to Marks, Edel said she believes that racial equality and equity is one of the most important issues in the 2020 election, feeling that the next president should acknowledge the mistreatment of minorities and institute changes to benefit them. “COVID-19 is another important issue, as the president will be in charge of handling the way our country deals with the virus and attempts to control it,” Edel said. All the new voters interviewed agreed that, while local elections are important, they feel they do not have as big of an impact as state and federal elections. Soss said that he thinks the federal government elections for president and Congress will more directly impact citizens’ everyday lives. “I think the state elections are just as important, but I do not feel that the local ones are,” Soss said. “The local government does not have enough power to make any dramatic changes that will impact me personally.” Edel said that while state and local elections are still significant, to her, federal elections are dominant and yield the most opportunity for change “I do not believe that local and state elections are just important since the federal government has so much more power and control over the people,” Edel said. “However, I still believe that voting in all elections is the duty of all American citizens.”
NC State
18 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
The political conversation when campus life is nonexistent Kristina Beek Correspondent
With less than thirty days until Election Day on Nov. 3, one might be wondering what NC State students are discussing in regards to platform issues, civic engagement and how to converse with others in a politically-polarized era. In light of COVID-19, this election season looks drastically different from much of what the U.S. has ever previously seen and is considered to be the most important election of our time. In order to gain an understanding of what the conversation on campus is, Technician turned to students and faculty members. Cailin Peterson, a fourth-year studying microbiology and psychology and the copresident of the Environmental Student Association (ESA), a nonprofit organization at NC State, addressed the value of educating oneself on different platform issues. “I would say, especially in the U.S., that a lot of our environmental policies could be very different and those are the only ways to make change,” Peterson said. “We’re already seeing climate refugees in the United States from the fires, so focusing on [environmental] advocacy is something that I have personally been trying to do.” In regards to how students can become more involved, Peterson stressed the value of meetings and events that are being held, such as those for ESA, where one can learn about issues and figure out what it is that they can do about them. Still, with constant news cycling daily, it may be hard for individuals to understand what is worth paying attention to. Noah Grady, a fourth-year studying sociology and political science and a member of Young Democrats of North Carolina (YDNC), says that with all the white noise, it’s important to remain focused on the real platform issues. “One thing in particular that [YDNC is] focusing on this year is organizing young people and social justice,” Grady said.“College-aged individuals are the biggest, most diverse voting block, but we’re also the least consistent when it comes to voting. As young people, we have to get out
LOCAL
continued from page 16
gible voters — and 55.7% of registered voters — voted in the midterm elections, an increase of 18 points over turnout in 2014. The reports indicate that, for both general and midterm elections, many NC State students voted early. 55.7% of
RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN
Austin Dunlow, arts and entertainment editor at Technician, sits alone on a bench holding a sign outside of Witherspoon Student Center on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020.
and vote.” Andy Lam, a fifth-year studying materials science and philosophy and the director of Government Affairs in Student Government (SG), agrees with this, stating that SG is concerned about voter engagement and turnout among college students. In order to combat this, Lam and other SG members are promoting Talley Student Union as an early voting site to get the word out. In terms of why people should vote and what resources they can use to become more involved, Lam says to utilize NC State resources as well as social media platforms where information is constantly being shared. “Why not use your voice by voting for people who best represent you in issues that matter to you?” Lam said.“Voting also matters because there are people who don’t have the right to vote, and you are representing their voices as well.” Andrew Taylor, a professor of political science in the School of Public and Inter-
national Affairs, jokes that there isn’t anything he isn’t paying attention to during this campaign. He also mentioned how fundamentally different this election is, even from a college campus perspective. “The trouble is that there is no campus life to speak of this semester,” Taylor said. “Normally, we would have people together as students and faculty. There would be an intellectual life here where we would really be looking at the campaign from the perspective of interested outsiders [...] There’s none of that [now].” However, in the places where there is political conversation, it can quickly become polarizing and unpleasant. Anthony Solari, assistant teaching professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, says that he’s paying close attention to the polls and the psychological drivers of behavior and how they play out politically. He advises students to recognize that it is pivotal to respect one another’s opinions. “In my classes, there’s a fair amount of
conversation, but I set rules,” Solari said. “My students have very different views from each other. I’ve got very conservative students and very liberal students, and I set rules where students are not going to yell at each other or call each other names. You can hold your opinions and hold them forcefully and that’s fine, but you have to respect each other.” Solari advises students to learn strategies in conversing with people who hold differing opinions by allowing others to speak and be heard and setting limits in the conversation. “This is a really important election, and there are real differences on policy between the Republican and Democratic parties,” Solari said. “If there’s anything that any individual might think of that they care about, whatever side you’re on, pick any issue that’s at stake in this election and then get out and vote.” Information on voting sites on campus can be found on the Pack the Polls website.
students voted early in 2016, and 59.4% voted early in 2018. Mathis said he anticipates that many students will vote early this year. He believes that the on-campus voter engagement initiatives, as well as on-campus voting sites, are what will cause more students to vote early. “When we didn’t have early voting on campus at all in 2014, it was only 25%,”
Mathis said. “We started [early voting] back in 2016 by the McKimmon Center, and even then, the 2016 early-voting rate for NC State was about 55%. When you look at what it was in 2018, when we moved it to campus at Talley Student Union, where it was more accessible, the early-voting rate rose to nearly 60%.” In both 2016 and 2018, the most popular student voting methods, besides early
voting, were as follows: In-person on Election Day: 29.5% (2016), 28.4% (2018) Absentee voting: 12.5% (2016), 9.6% (2018) By mail: 0.3% (2016), 0.7% (2018) Mathis said he is unsure how students will choose to utilize mail-in voting this election; however, he predicts it will increase.
NC State
TECHNICIAN 19
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
Leadership and Civic Engagement, student organizations pioneer voter accessibility at NC State
Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen Opinion Editor
&
Emilie Osborne Correspondent
As students prepare to cast their ballots in favor of their preferred candidates, various university and student organizations are gearing up to empower voters across campus. Both Leadership and Civic Engagement and Student Government are at the forefront of voter engagement and accessibility for oncampus voting, often collaborating with each other. Brian Mathis, the associate director for Leadership and Civic Engagement, said the department is working closely with multiple organizations to maximize NC State student voter turnout. According to Mathis, Pack the Polls, a nonpartisan initiative focusing on increasing voter engagement and turnout, works with students as well as faculty, staff and community coalitions, such as the League of Women Voters of Wake County, Democracy North Carolina and Common Cause North Carolina. “Before we started the Pack the Polls program, you’d see a lot of these organizations, having the same goal of getting students to vote, having to table out the Brickyard on the same day at the same time,” Mathis said. “So instead, we decided to bring all of the organizations together and say, ‘Hey, let’s maximize our efforts by sharing a common calendar, coordinating so, like, if you can table one day then maybe Student Government is tabling another day.’” One way Pack the Polls is ensuring college voter engagement is by registering Talley Student Union as an early voting site. There, people will have the opportunity to cast their ballots early from Oct. 15-31. Those voting at Talley Student Union will need to wear a mask and practice social distancing to protect themselves from COVID-19, according to the Pack the Polls website. Mathis said creating an early voting site on campus was a multistep process. First, Leadership and Civic Engagement, alongside campus organizations like Student Government and Campus Enterprises, sent a proposal to the Wake County Board of Elections (BOE) for Talley Student Union to be an early voting site. Once approved, the department collaborated with the BOE and other campus organizations, such as NCSU Transportation and the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, to properly staff and run the early voting site. Maintaining Talley Student Union as an early voting site hasn’t been easy for many of these organizations. Student Body President Melanie Flowers, a fourth-year studying com-
RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN
A vote sign sits with a variety of other campaign signs outside of Talley Student Union on Wednesday, Oct. 14th, 2020.
munications, said that the summer meeting for approving Talley Student Union became closed for public comments at the last minute. “We had like 40 minutes to get that message out and get our comments in advocating for Talley to be selected,” Flowers said. “In the BOE meeting selecting Talley, it was really great to hear board members say ‘I’m not voting on a plan that doesn’t include NC State’, because we are such an ideal location for Raleigh and our college.” NC State Senator Kennedy Sain and other student senators wrote R57, the Voter Engagement Act, to tackle voter disengagement and disenfranchisement on campus. The bill calls for various changes regarding on-campus voting: the inclusion of voter registration information through MyPack Portal, hosting public forums for candidates to interact with students and advocating for making Witherspoon Student Center a polling location instead of Pullen Community Center. According to Sain, R57’s petition of moving the voting site from Pullen to Witherspoon in the future came from a conversation with Mathis. “I had the discussion with Brian Mathis that, apparently, if you were to move the voting area to Witherspoon, you’d be increasing the registered voters that are within walking distance like astronomically,” Sain said. “I think it would go up 60%, and they would be within 3,500 feet of the polling site, so I just thought ‘Why would you not do that?’” The Pack the Polls ambassador program
is also a major way organizations are trying to engage students and encourage them to vote. Ambassadors are students representing organizations such as Student Government, the Inter-Residence Council and NC State Athletics. Director of Government Affairs Andy Lam, a fifth-year studying materials science and engineering, talked about the various activities ambassadors do. “We’ve gone into many classrooms and many organizations on campus to talk about registering to vote and the process of registering to vote, and it’s a ten-minute presentation,” Lam said. “It’s not long at all, and there was also Kahoot trivia to keep students engaged if the professor or the organization wanted to do something like that. Right now, we’re kind of brainstorming on volunteering for early voting.” The University has also put up a few fronts regarding voter accessibility at NC State. According to Sain, R57 did not include the call to include voter registration information during first-year orientation because of pushback. “I don’t know why, but they were a little adamant about me not including that, so I’m pretty sure I exempted it,” Sain said. “But in short, I don’t think they’re doing enough, given the lengthy legislation on it, but I hope this is a push in the right direction.” Many student political organizations are working to encourage students to vote, hoping to increase college student turnout in this election cycle.
Madi Mrzygod, a third-year studying criminology, is advocating for student voter turnout with College Democrats. “We’re focusing on voter education and spreading the word about important events, phone banking opportunities and how to become involved politically in your community,” Mrzygod said. “Right now, we’re having weekly meetings with different local candidates coming to speak to us.” Mi Familia, at NC State, a student organization that works to promote Latinx community and culture to all students, said in a statement that, while they might not agree with every policy on a candidate’s platform, they cannot overlook candidates’ stances on issues that directly affect Latinx people in the U.S., such as investment in public transportation. To engage young voters, Mi Familia shares posts on social media to educate their followers on where to vote in Wake County and other important voting deadlines. “Most of our members are part of the Latinx community and many will tell you that they will be voting because not only does their vote voice their opinion but it also speaks for the needs of those in their household that are not able to cast a ballot,” the statement said. Technician reached out to NC State College Republicans; however, they declined an interview. For more information, visit the respective websites for Leadership and Civic Engagement, Student Government and Pack the Polls.
20 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020
TECHNICIANONLINE.COM
Election Day is Election Day is November 3.is Election Day November 3. November 3. You can vote early. You can vote early. You can vote early. You can vote You can vote by mail. You can vote by mail. by mail. You can vote on You can vote on Election Day. You can vote on Election Day. Election Day. Go to voteamerica.com/students Go to voteamerica.com/students Go to voteamerica.com/students
Election Day is
VoteAmerica.com VoteAmerica.com VoteAmerica.com