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ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT Printing the news, sounding the alarm, and raising hell since 1899
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012
DAILYWILDCAT.COM
VOLUME 106 • ISSUE 43
Prop pulls for voter representation STEPHANIE CASANOVA Arizona Daily Wildcat
A push for Arizona’s elected officials and candidates to represent and cater to all citizens, regardless of political party, will be on the ballot in this year’s general election. The Open Elections/Open Government Act, known as Proposition 121, would amend Arizona’s current primary system and allow a top two primary where all candidates, regardless of party, would be put on the same ballot. The two candidates with the most votes would then move on to the general elections. Ted Downing, a social development professor in the Arizona Research Laboratories, wrote the first draft of the bill with the intent to increase representation for all citizens, not just those who belong to one of the two major political parties. In Arizona, 33 percent of registered voters identify as independent, according to the State of Arizona Registration Report issued by the Arizona Secretary of State. “So the public is not being defined by a two-party system, but we’re electing candidates for office in a partisan primary system that benefits the two parties,” said Tom Milton, the initiative’s campaign manager. “So you have a million independents out there that we feel
Booth lets campus cast a vote
are disenfranchised.” Milton added that the system doesn’t accurately represent the voters, and that with so many voters identifying as independent, Arizona should have independents in office. “When one third of the voters in Arizona choose a status and you don’t see a single independent elected official on the state level, that should tell you that the system isn’t serving the voters,” he said. Neither the Democratic or Republican Party in Arizona have endorsed the proposition, said Erik Lundstrom, the president of the UA Young Democrats and the Young Democrats of Arizona and a political science senior. Lundstrom added that a top-two primary system disenfranchises a party’s right to assemble. “For independents to be catered to in a primary, it doesn’t make sense to me, because it’s the party’s deal. The party is deciding which candidate it wants,” Lundstrom said. “This system would allow independents to almost dictate that process.” Downing said that a small change in the Arizona primaries could lead to a big change on the federal level. If the proposition passes in November, Arizona
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DESIGNED BY KEDI XIA
IN PRACTICE
ROTC cadets run practice drills outside South Hall for a presentation during the upcoming football game on Saturday.
RACHEL McCLUSKEY Arizona Daily Wildcat
Students registered to vote in Pima County don’t have to go far to cast a vote for this year’s election, thanks to a voting station in the ASUA office at SUMC. The voting station will be manned by employees from the Pima County voting office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Nov. 2. Students are required to bring a document that proves their residency in Arizona. ASUA has been making the voting station available during election years since 2004, when the idea was put in motion by then Associated Student of the University of Arizona President Gilbert Davidson. ASUA thought that not only students, but also the staff at the UA and the Tucson community as a whole could use the voting station, said ASUA President Katy Murray. The Arizona Students’ Association collaborated with ASUA to get the
BOOTH, 2 KYLE WASSON/ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Festival gives students taste of Israel
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BRITTNY MEJIA Arizona Daily Wildcat
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“Welcome to Israel.” The sign on the Mall welcomed students to Hillel Foundation’s annual IsraelPalooza, where attendees could learn about Israel and its culture. The event lasted from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday. A tent housed a variety of stations, and informational posters allowed students to learn about Israeli culture as they sipped Turkish coffee, used Dead Sea salt scrubs and participated in a variety of other activities. “We wanted to bring Israel to campus through food, music, art and different aspects of Israel,” said Shani Knaani, Hillel’s Jewish Agency Israel fellow. “Basically we were looking for a non-boring way to bring Israel to campus, to the Jewish community and to the public.” Students and others involved
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Tornado, W. Va. Hurricane, Vt. Rainbow, Calif.
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dailywildcat.tumblr. com ROBERT ALCARAZ/ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
SOPHOMORE BEN BERGER pours tea for Shahar Ben-Yelshaua during IsraelPalooza on Wednesday. The event showcased Israeli culture.