11.06.12 by The Daily Helmsman

Special Voting Issue!

Tuesday 11.06.12

Political Party Mascots The Military Vote

Vol. 80 No. 040

Pastner Talks Voting Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Memphis

4 6 7

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Library cards permissible to vote Does

your vote matter? By Kelsie Carter

news@dailyhelmsman.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM WEBER | COMMERCIAL APPEAL

City Atty. Herman Morris shows his library ID after he and others in the administration of Mayor A C Wharton used their library cards or employee IDs to vote during the last day of early voting Thursday afternoon at the Election Commission. The state Supreme Court ordered that the library photo ID be accepted for voting in Tuesday’s general election.

STAFF REPORT

news@dailyhelmsman.com On Thursday, the Tennessee Court of Appeals deemed it permissible for voters to use photo library cards in place of state-issued photo identification. Three judges of the court ruled unanimously in the case brought by the City of Memphis and two voters who lacked photo ID and cast provisional ballots during the August

primary. Tennessee is one of many states to pass laws requiring voters to show photo ID. The law took effect at the beginning of this year. Memphis, which is predominantly Democrat, filed a lawsuit in July claiming that the law would disenfranchise voters who use other valid government-issued IDs to vote. “The idea is still in question but the Tennessee Election Committee said yes, as of right now library cards with a photo are an acceptable form of

identification for the Nov. 6 election,” Tennessee Election Coordinator Seth Cantrell said. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. released a statement Oct. 25 expressing gratitude that the Court of Appeals voted “yes.” The ruling came with a one-page order that tells Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins “to immediately advise the Shelby County Election Commission to accept … photo library cards issued by the city of Memphis Public Library as accept-

able ‘evidence of identification.’” Hargett appealed the provision regarding the library cards to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Goins, a Republican, said his office advised the county election commission to accept the cards following the ruling on Oct. 25. “We continue to believe the General Assembly clearly intended for only state-federally issued photo IDs to be valid for the purpose of identifying voters and remain confident [the]

being bombarded with questions and opinions as a result of one’s selection are what has local musician and sales leader for Paul Mitchell Beauty & Cosmetology School, Bret Max, reluctant to participate in the voting process. “The process of voting is slightly frustrating due to time,” he said, referring to the time it takes for one to

stand in line at voting sites. Max, who used to attend the University of Memphis, is not directing his frustrations at those involved in running the polls, though. “However, I am patient and I understand that because I live in a city with over 600,000 people — all of whom should be voting — that I should get over it and wait my turn. So

I do,” said Max, who voted at a White Station polling location. But for others, like Christian Brothers University student Katie Antes, 20, the experience is full of excitement. “It was actually not that bad,” she said, despite the fact that she stood in line for about an hour at a Munford

see CARD on page 3

Stories from locals show nature of polls By Samantha Esgro

news@dailyhelmsman.com As this election draws to a close, many Tennesseans have also drawn their conclusions about the voting process itself, with opinions ranging from dread to excitement. The long lines, the candidates and their rally teams in the parking lot,

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Po l i t i c a l science principles suggest the cost of devoting time, getting in the car to go to the polls and standing in Groenendyk line to vote is greater than the reward received if a voter’s preferred candidate wins. R = (P x B) — C. Eric Groenendyk, assistant professor of political science at the University of Memphis, said this equation tells citizens the cost of voting is “likely to swamp the benefits.” He said that by benefits, specifically policy benefits, he means what is gained if the candidate that an individual votes for wins. In the equation, P, or the probability of casting the deciding vote, is zero, Groenendyk said. R, or the reward of voting, is determined by multiplying that probability by B, the benefit or gain received by a certain candidate being elected, minus C, the cost of voting, which includes the time it takes to register and vote. “It is very unlikely that the election will boil down to a single vote,” he said. Heather Larsen-Price, assistant professor of political science, said that even though the statistical impact of voting is extremely low, people still vote because it’s their right. According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, 42.2 percent of 18- to 24-year-old citizens said they didn’t vote in 2008 because of a lack of interest in the election. Another 3.6 percent said they did not think their vote would make a difference. “People go out and vote because it’s their duty,” Groenendyk said. He said he believes people

see POLLS on page 7 Tiger Babble Letter to Editor

2 Tigers’ Tales 3

see VOTE on page 7 4

2 • Tuesday, November 6, 2012

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Volume 80 Number 40

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Across 1 They sit at stands 5 Check out with nefarious intent 9 Gyneco-’s opposite 14 Really cruel guy 15 ABA member 16 Man-trap 17 Grievously wound 18 Approach 19 Thirteenth Amendment beneficiary 20 Game with a windmill, usually 23 “__ takers?” 24 Big shots 25 Requiring an adult escort 28 Big London attraction? 29 Handy set 30 Former despot Amin 31 Uncle Remus rogue 36 Big butte 37 Bootcut Skinny brand 38 PC interconnection 39 Like proofed dough 40 Dueler’s choice 41 Insect honored on a 1999 U.S. postage stamp 43 Make a booboo 44 __ Lingus 45 Article in Der Spiegel 46 Not at all out of the question 48 “Shucks!” 50 Friend of François 53 Literally meaning “driving enjoyment,” slogan once used by the maker of the ends of 20-, 31and 41-Across 56 Popular household fish 58 Princess with an earmuff-like hair style 59 Lose color 60 “If __ Would Leave You” 61 Sea decimated by Soviet irrigation projects 62 Done 63 Removal of govt. restrictions 64 Lucie’s dad

65 Boarding pass datum Down 1 “I, Claudius” feature 2 Piano teacher’s command 3 Like pickle juice 4 Big rig 5 Ensenada bar 6 Devoured 7 Headlines 8 Rochester’s love 9 Categorize 10 Nabisco cookie brand 11 Most in need of insulation 12 Gun 13 Individual 21 Declares 22 Spunk 26 Four-wheeled flop 27 Title name in Mellencamp’s “little ditty” 28 Runny fromage

29 Powerful pair of checkers 31 Run, as colors 32 Copy, for short 33 Eternally 34 Get fuzzy 35 Prohibition 36 Appearance 39 Run the country 41 Antelope playmate 42 Language of South Asia 44 Secretary of state after Ed Muskie 47 Support for practicing pliés 48 Farmers’ John 49 Diva specialties 50 Sonoran succulent 51 Jason’s jilted wife 52 Like helium 54 “Impaler” of Romanian history 55 Sci-fi staples 56 Rocker Nugent 57 Night before

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012 • 3

Timeline of suffrage in the United States

The Declaration of Independence is signed and the right to vote is based on ownership of property.

The Constitution gives states power to set suffrage regulations. Laws favor white, male property owners.

1776

1787

Letter to the Editor

By Meagan Nichols

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Veterans Day Observance MONDAY, NOV. 12 • 7 A.M. - 1 P.M.

EVENTS OF THE DAY 7– 7:45 a.m.

uuCard Continued from page 1 Supreme Court will confirm our interpretation,” Goins said. Former Rep. Representative Debra Maggart of Hendersonville, Tenn., who sponsored the photo identification legislation, said she was encouraged that the law was ruled constitutional but was concerned the ID issued by the Memphis Public Library will

Motivational Formation Run U of M ROTC Units

not be immune to voter fraud. Maggard said the court created an exemption for the City of Memphis that “falls below the standard for the rest of Tennessee.” “Photographic identification is probably the best way of making sure a voter is the person he or she claims to be,” Judge Andy Bennett said. College students are not the only ones excited about the change. Many people who do not possess the proper identification are eager to get a free

library card in order to vote. “It was our intent to make voting easier, not more difficult,” Wharton said in a statement. “In so doing, we knew that we were fighting this battle not just for the citizens of Memphis but for every city and community across Tennessee where you have seniors, the disabled and people in general in need of greater access and flexibility in obtaining a valid ID for voting.” Associated Press wire service contributed to this story. n

A Weekly Devotional For You

Memorial Field next to Elma Roane Fieldhouse

8 – 8:15 a.m.

Evidence that He is God

Veterans Day Opening Ceremony Student Plaza in front of Rose Theatre

Last time we saw that Jesus Christ cannot be regarded as a good man, if He is not God. He plainly claimed to be God, as we shall soon see. If He were not God, He was either a blatant liar or a deluded lunatic. The Scriptures are plain that Jesus Christ is indeed God incarnate. In Matthew 1: 23 He is called “Emmanuel” which means “God with us.” In John 20: 28 the disciple Thomas called Him “my Lord and my God,” and was not rebuked by Him for doing so. Acts 20: 28 says that it was God who “purchased the church with His own blood.” This is an unmistakable reference to His death on the cross. In Hebrews 1: 8, God the Father called the Son “God.” On many occasions, Jesus Christ received worship, but only God is to be worshipped. The apostle Paul refused to receive worship in Acts 14: 8-18. An angel would not allow the apostle John to worship Him in Revelation 22: 9. However, speaking of Jesus Christ, God the Father said “And let all the angels of God worship him.” (Heb. 1: 6). In John 8: 58 Jesus Christ referred to Himself as the “I Am.” This plainly identifies Him with the Jehovah of Exodus 3: 14. From this and much other evidence, one who holds the New Testament to be a part of the inspired word of God has no other choice than to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is, indeed, God manifest in the flesh.

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Veterans Information Fair & Reception hosted by Veterans’ Services Ofﬁce UC River Room (300)

Events were planned and implemented by the following U of M Veteran’s Committees: Adult and Commuter Student Services, U of M ROTC Units (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines), Society of Veteran Scholars, Veterans Services Ofﬁce

Grace Chapel Primitive Baptist Church – Zack Guess, Pastor

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT VETERANS SERVICES

828 Berclair Rd. • Memphis, TN, 38122 • 683-8014 • e-mail: zguess@juno.com

678-2996 • WILDER TOWER, ROOM 003

the isaC playlist experience up next... tomorrow

australian culture event 6 p.m. | UC ballroom

friday, nov. 9

SAC cinema 2 & 7 p.m. | UC theatre

tomorrow short video contest 6-10 p.m. | UC theatre

4 • Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The University of Memphis

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Women’s Suffrage Movement begins after Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other women’s rights activists participate in the Seneca Falls Convention. 1848

Civil Rights Act defines citizenship and prohibits discrimination based on race. President Andrew Jackson’s veto of the bill is overridden by the Republican Congress.

1865

The 14th Amendment is ratified and gives African-Americans the right to vote, but slave states continue to deny this right.

1868

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 • 5

The 15th Amendment is ratified and prohibits states from denying African-Americans the right to vote. 1870

The origins of

Susan B. Anthony, a civil rights activist and leader of the women’s suffrage movement, is arrested for voting in the presidential election.

1872

Jim Crow laws start in many Southern states to restrict African-Americans from registering to vote. 1876

The Donkey The Elephant and

What’s red and blue, has four hooves and neighs? A democrat. The 142-year-old symbol of the Democratic Party made its first official appearance in January 1870 in a newspaper called Harper’s Weekly via a political cartoon by Thomas Nast, according to History.com. Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat to be associated with the donkey symbol, however, in 1828. His opponents tried to label him a jackass for his populist beliefs and slogan “Let the people rule.” Jackson was entertained by the notion and used the symbol to his advantage. The cartoon, titled “A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion,” featured a donkey in a wooded area labeled “Copperhead Papers,” kicking a male lion, labeled “E.M. Stanton,” lying at the base of a tree. According to WSFA 12, a news station in Alabama, a more than 30-yearold donkey named Irene, born in Texas, allegedly attended President Barack Obama’s inauguration in a gown from Bloomingdale’s. The Democratic Party is more than 200 years old and has been affiliated not only with Obama but also former presidents John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The wrinkled, gray and usually 200pound mascot for the Republican Party made its first appearance in Harper’s Weekly, though it was four years after the Democratic donkey. Also drawn by Thomas Nast, the elephant appeared in a political cartoon titled “The Third Term Panic,” with an elephant labeled “The Republican Vote.” The Democratic donkey appears again wearing a lion’s skin and scaring several other animals including a unicorn labeled “N.Y. Times” and a giraffe labeled “N.Y. Tribune.” No elephants have attended Republican inaugurations (none that we know of anyway), but the party has inspired a literotica blog called “Tickle the Elephant” that launched in September and hosts erotic short stories meant for Republican women. The Republican Party, a little more than 160 years old, has been affiliated with former presidents George W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The contemporary elephant and donkey symbols appear in basic blue and red silhouettes with stars.

BY ERICA HORTON

Tigers’ Ta es “It’s very important. Being an African-American student, family fought hard for me to gain that right and it would be insulting not to use it.”

“It’s very important to me because I want to be aware of what is happening in our government.”

Donvan Sisco, Music education freshman

Alex Hall, Music education freshman

“It’s not that important to me right now because I haven’t educated myself enough to vote, but I’m glad to know I have that right to use in the future.” Chad Herndon, Engineering technology junior

How important is your right to vote? By Nathanael Packard

“It’s important to me because my parents never vote and I want to set a good example for my kids.” Maegan Pollard, International business junior

“It’s important. I want my kids to grow up in a good country and want a leader who has the same opinions as I do.” Mark Pittman Accounting junior

Early voting numbers continue to rise By Kamrel Eppinger

Scripps Howard Foundation Wire WASHINGTON — With less than a week before Election Day, Americans have taken full advantage of early voting in battleground states, signaling another recordbreaking increase for early voting turnout. This year, early voting is expected to account for 35 percent of all votes. More than 20 million voters had cast their ballots as of Thursday, a 10 percent increase from the 2008 election, when early voting rose 20 percent from 2004, Michael McDonald said. McDonald is an associate professor of government and politics at George Mason University who keeps a close eye on early voting with his United States Elections Project. Before early voting started, McDonald projected

35 percent of votes would be cast early. “It looks as though we are on track to at least meet or exceed the number of absentee ballots cast nationally from 2008 levels, and we have a good shot at reaching that 35 percent,” McDonald said. Geoffrey Skelley, political analyst at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said the upward trend is due to more states opening up access for absentee voting for any reason or early voting in person at special locations. The five states with the highest early voting turnout so far, in order, are Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina and Georgia. Christopher Mann, an assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Miami, said, “States such as these have had a strong history of high levels of early voting,

which is a product of political culture in terms of the way in which political campaigns and nonpartisan organizations think about encouraging voting.” In Oregon and Washington State, all voters receive mail-in ballots. Voters cannot vote in person. A handful of states, including Texas and Indiana, offer early voting for any reason. Ohio and Wisconsin allow voters to request a mail ballot for any reason without an excuse. Other states, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, permit early voting only to those with a valid excuse. Excuses include being out of state on business, school or vacation. Voters who are ill, disabled, pregnant or active duty military or who are confined and awaiting trial or who have religious obligations can also vote early. Florida and North Carolina

offer early voting at special polling locations and no-fault absentee balloting. Increased early voter turnout is occurring in the Virginia Senate race as well. Former Democratic governor Tim Kaine, and former Republican governor and senator George Allen are in a tight race and early voting has been instrumental. In a conference call Wednesday, Kaine’s senior adviser Mo Elleithee said, “We are beginning to — break away is a little strong — inching into a lead. This is all predicated on one very important factor, and that is turnout. We feel good about the ground operation. We feel good about turnout. We feel good about what we’ve done so far. I think these polls reflect the higher the turnout, the better it is for us. That’s sort of the remaining wild card.” District officials opened polling

places in each of the city’s eight wards. They were closed for two days as Hurricane Sandy hit the city and will stay open late through Saturday to make up for the lost time. The D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics said more than 15,000 voters had cast their ballots as of Wednesday. Anne Theisen, 52, a selfemployed bookkeeper for small businesses in Washington, voted Thursday so she can help other people vote on Election Day. She cast her vote at a city office building near the local courthouse. “It’s good to have early voting available because it helps working people to be able to have the flexibility,” Theisen said. “Having that expanded privilege is really good in helping voter turnout.” Emily Wilkins also contributed to this article. n

6 • Tuesday, November 6, 2012

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Wyoming becomes a state and creates the first constitution that gives women the right to vote.

The 19th Amendment is ratified and gives women the right to vote nationwide, prohibiting any state from denying voting rights based on sex.

1890

Hattie Caraway of Arkansas is the first woman to win election to the Senate. 1932

1920

Military vote declining, report shows By Michelle Corbet

news@dailyhelmsman.com During the last presidential election, Jason Jacquin, president of The Society of Veteran Scholars at the University of Memphis, was training in Georgia after returning from his second deployment. “Nearly every soldier in my unit was from a state other than Georgia . . . add the training cycle onto that, and it becomes a game of finding the absentee ballot in the middle of the woods,” he said. “It is just as difficult overseas.” The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2009, is supposed to ease the absentee voting process for out-of-state and overseas troops, but not all pieces of the legislation are being practiced. In accordance with the MOVE Act, the Shelby County Election Commission mailed absentee ballots on Sept. 22 to all military personnel who requested one, according to Richard Holden, administrator of elections for the SCEC.

“This includes military [members] stationed anywhere on the globe — in the U.S. and overseas,” he said. Through the Federal Voting Assistance Program, troops and their families can register to vote and request absentee ballots online. “Because of the MOVE Act, [absentee] voters are able to go online and see A) if we received the request, B) when we respond and C) when we received the ballot back,” Holden said. “It’s a great use of technology that’s become available in the past couple of years.” Master Sgt. Venson Herron is registered to vote in Denton, Texas, but he’s casting an absentee ballot from Memphis this year because he’s working with the U of M Army ROTC Tiger Battalion to train the next batch of officers. Herron said the process for his state allowed him to utilize the Internet by scanning printed forms and sending them to his county’s election commission. He then received a packet of forms in the mail, which he filled out and sent back.

INFOGRAPHIC BY CHRISTOPHER WHITTEN | STAFF

As of Sept. 22, a study by the Military Voter Protection Project showed a decline in the number of requested absentee ballots by overseas military personnel since 2008 in some of the nation’s swing states. Through the MOVE Act, every and registration office. A report “The paperwork might be long, but it is a simple process,” Herron military base not in a war zone is from the Department of Defense ordered to have a voting assistance said. see MILITARY on page 8

Coming Soon brought to you by the Student Event Allocation Committee

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Timbuktu Documentary

Movie--A Separation

Thursday, November 8 6:00 p.m. -- UC Theatre

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Service on Saturday

Saturday, November 10 8:30 a.m. -- UC Memphis Room

Saturday, December 1 8:30 a.m. -- UC Memphis Room

India Night

2012 Univ of Memphis Men’s Conference featuring Delatorro McNeal Saturday, December 1 9:00a.m. – 3:00 p.m. -- University Center

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Noche de Diversion Thursday, November 15 7:00 p.m. -- UC Beale Room (363)

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Idol Search 2012 Thursday, November 15 7:30 p.m. -- UC Theatre

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The University of Memphis

Tuesday, November 6, 2012 • 7

Native Americans are given citizenship by the Nationality Act.

A second Civil Rights Act outlaws unequal application of voter registration. The 24th Amendment states voting rights cannot be denied based on someone’s failure to pay a tax.

1940

Pastner, team take time out to vote By Bryan Heater

bheater@dailyhelmsman.com E v e r y four years, Americans are given a chance to vote for a presidential candidate who most closely Pastner relates to their individual values. What is often not talked about are politics in the sports world and how coaches and players perceive the voting process. Josh Pastner, head coach of

the University of Memphis men’s basketball team, said he sees the election process as an important part of society for any American, not just athletes. “I encourage [the players] to go out and vote,” Pastner said. “We took a trip recently to the [National] Civil Rights Museum so they could see what others have done so that we have that right. A lot of people before us have died just so we can go out and vote.” Pastner is a teacher on the basketball court, but like any elite coach in the country, his teachings in life and outside of the game are what touch players and help them succeed in life without

basketball. “We’ve had conversations about life and politics in general recently in the training room,” Pastner said. “You can see these guys listening and taking that stuff to heart.” With the Nov. 12 season opener less than a week away, Pastner and his team are full steam ahead. But according to him, the election today is something he and the team take very seriously. “It’s just one of those things, you can’t express how important it is,” Pastner said. “Everyone needs to be educated on matters that affect us all, and electing a new leader for our country, well that affects our whole country.” n

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1964

The Voting Rights Act is amended to eliminate voting discrimination, outlawing the Jim Crow laws and voting limitation based on race or color. 1965

uuPolls Continued from page 1 polling station. “The staff was really friendly and the people waiting in line seemed really happy. No one was like, ‘Ugh I don’t want to be here,’” Antes said. Antes, who voted Thursday, is not alone in her positive opinion about the polls. Earl Nortin, a retired welder in his late 60s, was also pleased with his voting experience at Bethel Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn. “I just walked in and showed them my picture ID since I didn’t need my voter’s registration card. I filled out the cards and voted and walked out,” Nortin said. While the lines and parking lots may give the poll sites a chaotic look, Nortin assured voters that the inside was very much the opposite. “It was very organized,” he said of the voting process. Some citizens are able to avoid the lines altogether by voting with absentee ballots. Katie Harmon, 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Memphis, experienced voting that way. “I called my election commission,

uuVote Continued from page 1

Third Meeting of Fall

Friday, Nov. 9 12:45 p.m. UC Poplar Room (308)

Guest Speaker from Memphis Dental Society

Questions? Contact Cheryl Bird cabird@memphis.edu (623) 910-7736

vote because of psychological benefits and because they want to be viewed as a good citizen and a good partisan. Voting is a tradition that American citizens have made an obligation. Larsen-Price said that because the country has a history of disenfranchisement with many groups of people, some Americans vote because people have worked for the right. According to Groenendyk, the question “Why don’t more people vote?” should be rephrased to “Why do people vote at all?” People don’t vote because of self-

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they told me exactly what to type on a piece of paper and I sent it in,” she said. “But I messed up and didn’t physically sign it so they mailed back the official form and a note saying I forgot to sign it,” Harmon said. The absentee voting process takes longer because it is completed via mail. “Well it would have been much faster if I hadn’t forgotten to sign the first request. Within about four days I got the ballot,” she said. Other people chose to wait until today for the build up of the event. “We waited because it is my first time to vote and it would be more exciting,” Joshua Cannon, a student at the U of M, said about voting with his father. Cannon is not sure what he should expect, but he has certain expectations about the crowd. “I imagine a long line, very nervous Republicans and overly confident liberal-minded folk,” he said. Cannon and many others share the same view of how important it is to vote, regardless of political stance. “No matter what your opinion may be, go vote,” he said. “The government is constructed for the people, by the people — and we are the people.” n

interest, he said, because voting is not in anyone’s self interest. “If you really think about the logic in a purely policy-beneficial way, it reverses the question to why would anyone vote,” Groenendyk said. Larsen-Price said since the United States is a republic, voting is the citizen’s chance to choose the political leaders that will run the country. If a person lives in a swing state, she said that person may feel their vote matters more than if a person lives in a “blue” state or a “red” state. “When we think of how people participate [in society] that is the first thing we think of — whether or not you vote,” Larsen-Price said. n

Solutions

8 • Tuesday, November 6, 2012

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The 26th Amendment is passed, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 nationwide. 1971

uuMilitary Continued from page 6 found that not all military bases have established offices due to a lack of funding. Building voting assistance offices could cost the Department of Defense in excess of $15 to 20 million a year, according to the report. The report also states that Department of Defense officials emphasized that younger military personnel made up the majority of the military population, and given their familiarity and preference for communicating online, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter may be a more effective way to increase the military vote. Jacquin said veterans have the opportunity to vote overseas, but the materials to make an informed decision become scarce due to operational constraints and the soldiers’ inability to access information. “As a general rule, the active duty soldier has access to media, but not media free of bias,” he said. “As an impartial thinker, it is fair to assume that if the newspapers a soldier receives are comprised of articles written by and for military personnel that they are lacking a certain sense of balance.”

President Bill Clinton signs the National Voter Registration Act, making voter registration simpler.

A study by the Military Voter Protection Project shows a decline in the number of requested absentee ballots by military personnel and their spouses since the last presidential election. Some of the nation’s swing states demonstrate a waning presence of military ballots this year. As of Sept. 22, Virginia’s overseas military had requested 2,292 absentee ballots. There were 41,762 requested in 2008, according to the MVP. A report from the Library of Congress said the U.S. had 48,250 troops in Afghanistan and 182,060 in Iraq in 2008. Since Obama ended the war in Iraq in 2011, the number of active duty personnel overseas has significantly decreased. As of Monday at 4:30 p.m., the Shelby County Election Commission had received 1,781 absentee ballots from military personnel, Holden said. The majority of absentee ballots requested have been returned. All absentee ballots must be returned to the SCEC before the polls close today. “I believe in the absentee system. I however do not believe enough of the military population is completing the process, a portion of those being attributed to lack of the resources to do so,” Jacquin said. n

1993

As a result of the controversial election of 2000, President George W. Bush signs the Help America Vote Act into law to improve the voting systems and voter access. 2002

The College-Age Voter 48.5 percent of voters 18-24 years old voted in the 2008

election.

54.6 percent of Tennesseans voted in 2008, a .9 percent

increase from 2004.

21.0 percent of registered voters ages 18-24 said they did not

vote because they were too busy or had conflicting schedules.

12.1 percent said they weren’t interested. 14.2 percent were out of town. m42.2 percent of 18-24 year olds cited a lack of interest in the election for their reason not to register to vote.

3.6 percent felt their vote would not make a difference. Reference: 2010 U.S. Census Bureau

Bird is the word.

@HelmsmanSports