The Daily Illini: Election Guide Edition 2022

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November 2, 2022 SYDNEY LAPUT THE DAILY ILLINI

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Midterms use new congressional districts

By Marta Narag and Srikamal Munukutla Staff Writers

In the upcoming November election, Illinois voters are voting with newly drawn congressional maps.

The population of Illinois decreased by 0.1% from 2010 to 2020, according to the National Census Bureau. The shift caused Illinois to lose a congressional district and now has 17 instead of 18. With the census results, the state legislature drew new congressional maps.

“Redistricting is required by the constitution every 10 years for congressional districts. You have to balance the changes in population in order to come up with the right number of members of the House of Representatives,” said Trisha Crowley, president of the League of Women Voters for Champaign County.

The Democratic-majority legislature changed the boundaries of the 13th

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District, which contains Champaign and Urbana, to have a voting majority favoring their party. According to Crowley, this practice is known as gerrymandering.

“They try to maximize the likelihood of Democrats winning in these various congressional districts,” Crowley said.

The 13th District changed from lean-

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ing slightly more conservative to leaning more liberal. It’s grouped in the same district as the city of Springfield.

“It makes it particularly impactful, the way students vote … So whatever the student body ends up deciding, whichever way we end up going, it has a higher chance of being ultimately determinative in the election,” said Garrett Forrest, president of Illinois Student Government.

Voter turnout itself isn’t directly impacted by redistricting. But because this is a midterm election, poll numbers might not be as historically high.

“It’s a competitive district; either candidate really has the chance to win,” Forrest said. “I want to emphasize just how important it is that every student vote no matter their political affiliation, because we need to maintain our democracy.” news@dailyillini.com Instagram @TheDailyIllini

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A look at who’s on the ballot in C-U

By Matt Troher and Piotr Fedczuk Staff Writers

Governor The biggest political race of the midterms is the Illinois gubernatorial election. Incumbent Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker is running for a second term against Republican challenger Darren Bailey. Hailing from Louisville, Ill., Bailey has served as a state senator for the state’s 55th District since 2021 after serving a single term in the Illinois House of Representatives for the state’s 109th District.

Bailey has run his campaign appealing to downstate voters, often portraying Chicago voters as out of touch with the rest of the state. He has centered his campaign around reopening the economy, upholding second amendment rights, shaping policies to support farmers and finding solutions to education funding gaps.

Conversely, Pritzker has focused his reelection campaign on upholding reproductive rights, investing in clean energy and improving Illinois’ infrastructure.

U.S. Senate Illinois’ junior senate seat is up for election this year. Incumbent Democrat Tammy Duckworth is running against Republican challenger Kathy Salvi.

Duckworth is running for a second term in the Senate, having been first elected in 2016. The incumbent has had a long list of political experience, serving two terms in the House of Representatives, three years as the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and two years as the assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Salvi’s platform consists of promoting independent energy production, limiting governmental oversight, securing the border, supporting police and giving parents more control over education.

Salvi, who worked as a former public defender, has no previous elected political experience.

Illinois’ 13th Congressional District Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, which encompasses Champaign-Urbana as well as parts of East St. Louis and Springfield, features a contested election between Democrat Nikki Budzinski

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and Republican Regan Deering. Since this is the first election after the redistricting process, the new district has no incumbent.

Budzinski’s platform has centered around labor rights, drawing on her experience as a labor union leader.

Budzinski has formerly served as the chief of staff for the Office of Management and Budget in President Biden’s administration.

Deering, the former chair of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation, won the Republican primary with 34.6% of the vote — winning by only 700 votes. Her campaign has centered around Second Amendment rights, increasing border security, promoting public safety and strengthening education.

Illinois State Legislature Illinois’ 52nd State Senate District covers C-U, as well as Rantoul, Georgetown and Danville.

Democrat Scott Bennett is the current state senator for the 52nd District and is running unopposed in the election.

Bennett was first appointed to the state senate in 2014 to fill a vacancy and has been reelected ever since.

Bennett currently serves on the Illinois Senate Agriculture Committee, Judiciary Committee, Labor Commit-

tee and Redistricting Committee. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. Illinois’ 103rd State House District covers the entirety of C-U and was left unchanged during the redistricting process.

Democrat Carol Ammons is the incumbent state representative for the district and is running unopposed in the general election. Ammons was first elected in 2014 with 61.4% of the vote and is currently serving her fourth term.

She also serves as the co-chair of the Illinois House’s progressive caucus and is an active member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.

Champaign County offices There are a number of local Champaign County offices up for election this cycle.

Champaign County executive, an office responsible for overseeing the duties and businesses of running the county’s administration (similar0 to a mayor’s duties within a city) is up for election. Democrat Steve Summers is running against Republican Ted Myhre.

Summers has served on the Champaign County Board for five years, where he currently serves as the vice

chair and has previously served 16 years on the Urbana Board of Education from 1995–2011.

Myhre has held a variety of different positions throughout his life. He served in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, taught high school chemistry and works as a volunteer EMT. Living in the Chicago suburbs for a period of time, Myhre worked with the People’s Resource Center, a nonprofit organization serving underprivileged communities in DuPage County.

Another important office up for election is the Champaign County clerk. The county clerk is responsible for running elections within the county, as well as maintaining governmental records.

The incumbent county clerk is Democrat Aaron Ammons, who has held the position since 2018. He will be running against Republican challenger Terrence Stuber.

As county clerk, Ammons has expanded voting opportunities at the University of Illinois, increasing the amount of voting locations from a singular location at the Illini Union to multiple across campus. Prior to being elected as the county clerk, Ammons served as an alderman on the Urbana City Council.

Stuber currently serves on the Tolono Village Board, having assumed the position in 2015. Stuber made local headlines in August when responding “I don’t know if he truly was the winner or not” when asked if Donald Trump won the 2020 election. Later, Stuber said President Biden won the election, but said he remained skeptical about the 2020 election process.

Also on the ballot this November is the Champaign County sheriff. The incumbent sheriff, Democrat Dustin Heuerman, is running against Republican challenger John Brown.

Heuerman was elected as sheriff in 2018, where he became the county’s first Democrat sheriff since the 1930s.

As county sheriff, Heuerman helped close the dilapidated jail in downtown Urbana, as well as publishing the first sheriff’s office annual report in over 16 years. Heuerman is also one of five openly LGBTQ+ sheriffs in the U.S. Brown currently serves as the mayor of Savoy and has had over 32 years of law enforcement training and experience. He served with the University of Illinois Police Department for 30 years from 1990 until 2020, where he retired to become the deputy chief of police for the Tolono Police Department. news@dailyillini.com

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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Explaining the Workers’ Rights Amendment Referendum includes right to collective bargaining

By Lisa Chasanov Staff Writer

On Nov. 8, Illinois residents have the opportunity to vote in the midterm elections. One issue appearing on Illinois’ ballots this year concerns the Illinois Right to Collective Bargaining Measure, which is more commonly known as the Workers’ Rights Amendment.

This proposed amendment to the state constitution, according to the Illinois General Assembly website, would ensure workers the right to organize and to select individuals to negotiate working conditions on their behalf. Furthermore, the amendment would codify the right to collective bargaining into Illinois law.

In 2021, the amendment passed both the Illinois house (80-30) and senate (49-7) with support from both Democratic and Republican politicians.

The referendum is endorsed by unions across the state.

Nachiketa Adhikari, graduate student studying mathematics and copresident of the Graduate Employees’ Organization at the University, said that the proposed amendment, if passed, would prevent future elected officials from passing legislation that would interfere with union rights.

“The measure would enshrine workers’ rights to organize into the Illinois constitution,” Adhikari said.

“In other states, lawmakers have taken away workers’ rights to organize through (legislation). Many unions there no longer have the right to bargain collectively.”

In 2011, Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin at the time, signed into law a bill that restricts collective bargaining for general municipal employees.

A frequent opposition to the amendment is its potential to impact prices for goods and services and raise taxes. But, Adhikari said that this point is misunderstood.

“A common talking point from critics is that these protections will raise taxes or raise costs,” Adhikari said.

“What they don’t realize is that workers and their families are often the ones paying for things. When workers have higher wages and better benefits, it makes life easier for all of us.”

A paper written by Mailee Smith,

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“This amendment would solidify our ability to have an effective union ... If this measure passes, we won’t be subject to the whims of legislators.”

Dian Palmer, president of SEIU Local 73 the director of labor policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, a libertarian think tank and Perry Zhao, an IPI policy intern, challenges the measure by stating that, as written, it could allow for more freedoms than intended.

“The language of Amendment 1 is so broad and vague it’s hard to predict every potential state law or local ordinance that could be trumped by a union contract,” the paper states.

“Amendment 1 would allow government unions to pass their most unpopular demands at the bargain-

ing table.”

Dian Palmer, president of Service Employees International Union Local 73, experienced the effects of antiunion laws firsthand in her home state of Wisconsin. Palmer urges Illinoisans to vote ‘yes’ on the amendment to avoid repeating the effects.

“We didn’t have legislation like this in place,” Palmer said. “We were alright for, like, 50 years. Then, we got a group of legislators who went out against us. We lost our union. I was a state worker, and I lost my ability to be represented by the union.

That happened in 2010, and since then, people have been fighting to get those rights back.”

Palmer said that leaving workers completely without protections could lead to politicians targeting them with anti-union laws.

“This amendment would solidify our ability to have an effective union in our workplace,” Palmer said. “If the measure passes, we won’t be subject to the whims of legislators.”

Palmer said that without ironclad union protections, politicians could target workers with potentially harmful legislation.

“The amendment would protect all workers who speak out against working conditions,” Palmer said. “From food safety issues to shoddy construction, this would allow us to lift our voices without fear.” lisamc3@dailyillini.com

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Sheriff candidates take part in forum Contenders analyze crime, corrections issues

tions beyond saying that “procedures and training will have to be set up so that deputies know how to handle those different situations is drastically, drastically different than what it was in the past.”

In response to why there is an increasing turnover in law enforcement, Heuerman said law enforcement officers “leave for a variety of reasons,” and acknowledged that law enforcement and corrections is a difficult job, and “national incidents” in the past couple years have caused law enforcement officers to feel less supported.

“It’s not necessarily bad that law enforcement officers leave. There are unethical law enforcement officers out there,” Heuerman said. “It seems that when you start enforcing some of those policies and procedures, they don’t like being called out for some of those things that they’ve gotten away with for a very long time … We’ve got to support the ones who stick around.”

By Aidan Sadovi Staff Writer

On Oct. 25, the Campus Student Election Commission, Alpha Nu Fraternity and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority held the first of two candidate forums for county elections, hosting the incumbent Democratic Sheriff Dustin Heuerman and Republican challenger John Brown at the Clements Auditorium in the ARC. Brown, whose father was a sheriff in Champaign County, emphasized his 32 years of experience in various law enforcement capacities, including 30 years spent with the University of Illinois Police Department. Brown also said that he is currently deputy chief for the Tolono Police department, a graduate of the FBI national academy in Quantico, Va. and the mayor of Savoy, Ill. “You know, the common theme that I heard over and over again, or the common statement that was made several times, was Dustin’s a nice guy, but he’s in over his head,” Brown said late in the meeting.

Heuerman, sheriff since 2018, is the first Democratic sheriff of Champaign County since the 1930s, and one of five LGBTQ+ sheriffs in the country. He spoke of 23 years spent in public service, including in “emergency medical services, 911 telecommunications, uniformed patrol and plainclothes narcotics investigations.”

Heuerman is also on the board of the New American Welcome Center, which works to welcome immigrants to the area, and is a former tenured faculty member in the criminal justice program at Lake Land College.

“I’m going to continue to build on the foundation that we’ve laid over the last four years and continue to work on a more equitable criminal justice system,” Heuerman said.

Crime Students who moderated the event asked candidates about how they would respond to rising crime signified by increased amounts of Illini-Alerts. “(UIPD) Chief Carey and I already speak frequently about how we can

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Champaign County sheriff candidates, Democrat Dustin Heuerman (left) and Republican John Brown, answer questions at a forum held in the ARC’s Clements Auditorium on Oct. 26. best support each other in these endeavors,” Heuerman said.

Heuerman also noted that gun crime in the county went “crazy” in 2021 but went down by 50% in 2022 and said later in the forum that gun violence used to be isolated among rivaling gangs, but now, incidents are more random.

“Now, we’re seeing random people get shot in the street,” Heuerman said.

He went on to say that “you can’t just tackle it from an enforcement perspective. That’s part of it, but you also have to make sure that we have resources that are dedicated to kids to make sure that they never pick up a gun in the first place.”

Brown said there used to be significantly less shooting incidents and that this has changed drastically.

“I mean, I worked here like I said, 30 years, and we used to get a shooting incident, maybe once every 10, once every 20 years.” Brown said.

Brown blamed the “defund the police movement” for the lack of proactive police officers.

“I think that one of the big things that has caused that is a lack of police

officers being proactive, because of the ‘defund the police movement’ and some of the other issues,” Brown said.

“They haven’t felt supported as they have in the past.”

Later in the evening, candidates responded to an audience question about the impending enforcement of the SAFE-T Act, which would eliminate cash bail come January.

Heuerman said that some of the “inconsistencies” were present in the law.

“So we’ve been working on this for months,” Heuerman said. “And it’s very, very very challenging.”

The sheriff said his office has been working with the state’s attorney’s office, jail superintendent and chief deputy in making sure the office is “as prepared as possible” for the SAFE-T Act, according to Heuerman.

“We already do a really good job at the sheriff’s office and at the jail at evaluating inmates, and getting those out of jail who don’t pose a public safety risk.”

Brown said the implementation will result in what he called a “logistical nightmare,” but did not offer solu-

Corrections issues Both candidates said one of the issues facing the department is a shortage of correctional officers and what Brown, early in the forum, called “severe morale and staffing shortages” at the Champaign County Jail.

“So much so in a 30 day period of April of this year, when (the jail was) already down by eight correctional officers, they lost an additional nine.

And in August, they lost another four correctional officers,” Brown said.

Brown pointed to correctional salaries that lagged behind those of a neighboring county and claimed that “a telecommunicator at (UIPD) has a higher starting wage than a correctional officer.”

Heuerman said that because the state government was not taking inmates to the Illinois Department of Human Services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the environment “forced correctional officers to be mental health workers, and they’re not mental health workers.”

In regard to pay, Heuerman said that the county is currently in union negotiations to increase staff salaries, but said that “the county’s only got a certain pot of money.” asadovi2@dailyillini.com

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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International students offer unique views on vote

By Cecilia Milmoe Features Editor

For many students, voting in the midterm elections is a way to impact the future. However, a sizable portion of students are unable to vote: international students.

As of Fall 2021, there are 9,841 international students enrolled at the University, which is roughly 17% of total students.

However, since they are not U.S. citizens, they do not have the right to vote.

Abel Kartawinata, junior in Engineering, is an international student from Indonesia. She said she thinks many international students are unfamiliar with the election process.

“As an international student, I’m personally not too familiar with how the election system works,” Kartawinata said. “I think I can speak for a lot of international students — We’re all too busy with our work to really know what’s going on.”

Iris Shang, junior in LAS and an international student from China, said that she has only begun to learn about the midterm elections.

“The election is a relatively new thing to me,” Shang said. “I see posters every-

where on campus and got very curious that so many students are interested in this and also vote. I just learned that midterm elections are the general elections for the seats in the House of Representatives and also in the Senate — I’ve never heard of this before as a foreign student.”

Shang said that it can be hard for international students to find information about U.S. elections.

“For other elections, like the lessknown midterm elections, a lot of information online is not available to people outside of the U.S.,” Shang said. “Also, as foreign students, we don’t really know how to access this information or where to find it.”

Shang also said another layer of difficulty is that many other countries have vastly different election processes from U.S. elections.

Kartawinata believes some international students are not aware of the midterm elections’ impact on them.

“We know about the elections that happen every four years, but I don’t think enough attention is brought to the midterm elections coming up soon,” she said.

Kartawinata added that she saw the impact of elections on internation-

al students during Donald Trump’s presidency.

“I remember when Trump was president, I know a lot of international students, myself included, really considered their decision to study in the United States or not,” Kartawinata said.

Daniel Perez-Astros, graduate student studying Latin American literature, is an international student from Venezuela. He said that as an international student, he feels helpless.

“I feel helpless because one, I cannot vote, and two, because of my visa status,” Perez-Astros said. “They tell us that you shouldn’t go to any form of, let’s say, political reunions or stuff like that.”

Perez-Astros said that while it might be fine to attend a protest, he worries that attending one could be used as a way to deny his visa.

Shang said that she sees international students being unable to vote as fair.

“We don’t have the same rights as U.S. citizens, and that’s completely fine because we’re not Americans,” Shang said. “So, it’s just not fair for us to have a right to decide on other people’s destiny, because we will then be away, maybe go to another country or go back to our home country.”

Shang added that even if she could vote in the upcoming midterm elections, she wouldn’t, as she does not know enough about all of the issues at stake.

Kartawinata expressed similar beliefs but said she believes international students should still have a say in political matters.

“I’m not really sure where I stand with it, because we do pay a lot of money to be here,” Kartawinata said. “We contribute to taxes, education (and) anything else that the government wants to use our tuition for. But in a way, I think maybe there should be a way to do it that doesn’t really constitute as voting.”

Still, Kartawinata said that if she could vote, she would.

Perez-Astros said he believes international students should have a say in elections.

“Yeah, of course (I would vote),” Perez-Astros said. “I mean, in my opinion, voting is a right. Since political people and political parties do affect us (as) individuals, it doesn’t matter if you are an international student or not. So, I would say in a beautiful and ideal world, maybe I will have a say.” cecilia@dailyillini.com

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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Abortion remains important to student voters

By Yuzhu Liu Assistant Features Editor

Chaundra Bishop, an Urbana City Council member, said she remembers she had tears in her eyes when the news first leaked that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Bishop added that although she knew this change was only a matter of time since the Supreme Court had appointed three conservative justices in a row, it was still a shocking moment. She said that she thought of people who were already facing barriers to reproductive health care are now placed in a dire situation.

“Think about older people (who) fought this battle 50 years ago, and then to think that their children are going to have less rights than they do,” Bishop said.

With midterm elections coming up, Bishop said many on the ballot are asking voters about their greatest worries.

She said reproductive rights are at the top of the list.

“This is a very big concern for a lot of people, so they want to hear their

candidates say that they support reproductive rights,” Bishop said. “And those that do not receive far less support.”

Mia Bartletti, freshman in FAA, just turned 18 and said she is excited to vote. Bartletti said she has determined to vote for Gov. Pritzker and his vow to protect reproductive rights.

“He has come out and made statements not everyone has, saying (things) like, ‘I’ll keep Illinois a pro-choice area and don’t worry, you’re safe,’” Bartletti said. “That was good to know I’m in a safe place.”

Bartletti said she didn’t consider any red-state school when deciding where to go to college, as she saw an uncertain future of policy changes. She said she is glad to stay in Illinois where she can make choices.

Bartletti said she has confidence in Pritzker’s reelection and Illinois’ abortion legislation and feels upset for people in the states that banned abortion where policy can be difficult to change.

Corinne Lipkin, sophomore in LAS, said she is “slightly worried” about losing abortion rights in the midterm elections.

“Because I never thought that Roe v.

Wade could be overturned in the first place, I feel like anything could happen at this point,” Lipkin said.

Bishop said the overturning of Roe v.

Wade has fired up Champaign-Urbana.

She explained that many people have realized that despite Illinois’ secure environment as of now, one election can change everything.

Bishop recalled how she heard of Republican women voting for Democratic candidates because of discontent with Republican politicians overextending their restrictions.

“Most people generally think that reproductive health care should be left up to women and their doctors,” Bishop said. “I think the support is stronger than what Republican politicians are saying.”

Lipkin said that though she has “some issues with both sides,” she will vote for more liberal Democrats during the election season. She said she expects more progressive people in the office to maintain the status quo.

“At least they are talking about women’s rights,” Lipkin said. “They’re at least trying, or at least pretending that

they’re gonna try, so that’s better than the opposite.”

Lipkin said she feels many people didn’t care much about voting until Roe v. Wade proved how politics could impact her life. She said she believes the affair inspired more people to vote because they could make a change in their bodily rights.

Bishop said there have been plenty of drives for voter registrations. As a part of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Board, Bishop has been busy calling, texting and sending postcards to remind people to vote for candidates who are outspoken about the fight for reproductive rights.

Despite the efforts, Bishop said she doesn’t see any predictability of this year’s midterm elections. She explained that today is a very different time when the nation has so much on the line, including reproductive rights, the economy and workers’ rights.

“I wouldn’t dare to speculate on what’s going to happen, but I’m definitely on pins and needles,” Bishop said. yuzhul2@dailyillini.com

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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Students prepare for midterm voting Mail-in ballots, polling stations are two options for voters

By Ashleigh Kendrick Staff Writer

As Election Day approaches, some students are preparing to mail in their ballots or cast them in person, while others are not casting a ballot at all.

Miles Ralph, junior in LAS and president of Illini Republicans, says he plans to return to his home county to cast his vote. Ralph said he did consider changing his voting registry to Champaign county as he lives in Champaign nine months out of the year, but ultimately decided not to.

“It’s kind of difficult because I’m very politically active back at home,” Ralph said. “So, I feel like my vote would count more there.”

Will Charlton Haliday, junior in Media, said he also plans to return to his home county to vote, as he enjoys the act of voting in person.

“I just want to go in person because I kind of like the experience of going and doing it,” Charlton said.

Charlton said he sees voting as the best way for citizens’ voices to be heard. Ralph also echoed this sentiment. He said that regardless of which party someone is voting for, their vote still matters, and they should not feel discouraged to vote just because their vote does not align with the dominant party of the state.

“People feel like, ‘Oh (Illinois) is majority Democrat, so it doesn’t matter,’” Ralph said. “Every vote matters, of course, and it is very important for everybody to go out and vote.”

Michal Szczepaniak, junior in Media, said he will most likely return home to cast his ballot because it is not too far away from campus. Szczepaniak also said many of his friends are also returning home to vote, but some of his friends are going to the polls to report rather than vote.

“Especially being in journalism, we obviously have to report on important things,” Szczepaniak said.

“So, I know a lot of people who have been planning on either reporting or going themselves to vote.”

Ralph said he also knows many people who will be voting, whether it

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“Every vote matters, of course, and it is very important for everybody to go out and vote.”

Miles Ralph, junior in LAS and president of Illini Republicans be in person or via the mail-in ballot.

Although Ralph, Charlton and Szczepaniak are voting, some students are not. Chiffon Claiborne, senior in Media, is one of those students.

Claiborne said she is not registered to vote in Champaign County, so she would have to mail in her ballot or return home to cast her vote.

She said she could not return home this election to vote due to other commitments.

“I was planning to go back home,

but the class I’m taking (requires) me to be reporting that weekend,” Claiborne said. “So, I don’t think I’m going to be able to go back.”

Charlton said he thinks one reason people are not voting is due to a lack of knowledge on candidates and current issues.

“I think the most underlying reason is because people just don’t know enough or just don’t really have an opinion or just don’t like either of the candidates,” Charlton said.

Szczepaniak mentioned that he thinks people are not voting simply because they do not want to or because of a lack of interest.

“I don’t think there’s any concrete reason that they have to not vote other than simply their lack of interest, to be frank,” Szczepaniak said.

Ralph believes that the importance and impact of voting needs to be emphasized, especially at the local level because the lower level elections are just as important.

“If you’re going to vote, say here in Champaign, just know that your vote means a lot to the people running for those local seats,” Ralph said. “So, just go out and vote.” akend2@dailyillini.com

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OPINIONS

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Democracy has hope despite political climate

By Aaron Anastos Columnist

If you think America’s current political landscape is bad, look back at what it was like in 1860.

It’s a tale as old as time — or at least as old as the Confederacy. Upon the presidential election of Abraham Lincoln, a firm anti-slavery nominee, South Carolina decided to secede from the Union.

This set off the Civil War, the deadliest war fought on American soil and an entire chapter in many middle school history textbooks.

Those poor middle school students, and those poor voters in 1860.

Imagine having the responsibility to keep the Union with only a pen and a ballot. That is the power Americans have always held and will once again wield during the midterm elections on Nov. 8. Fortunately, unless any of the Carolinas have been having rebellious ideas lately, voters in 2022 will not have the fate of the Union in their hands.

More recent elections have not set off any wars, but that doesn’t make them any less important.

Elections change with the times.

With the invention of the TV, Democratic nominee John F. Kennedy gained a massive advantage a century after Lincoln was elected in the first-ever televised debate opposite Richard Nixon in 1960. Voters were swayed by Kennedy’s charm and youth, and if they had not been, one may wonder how then-serving President Nixon would have handled the Cuban Missile Crisis.

History now sees Kennedy as less than perfect, but voters made him president, thus changing the course of American history — for better or worse.

These days, every election seems to carry a monumental weight. The average informed voter on either side of the political spectrum may feel like an election loss is equal to the destruction of American morality and the potential downfall of democracy. Or even worse, to some choice individuals, it could spell the start of another civil war.

However, democracy only falls if we let it.

People in 1860 and 1960 rightly performed their responsibilities as citizens, judging the candidates’ fitness for office

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as best as they could. In all fairness, citizens in 1960 had it better than in 1860, considering neither Kennedy nor Nixon were pro-slavery.

But no one could have foreseen a completely abolitionist ballot in 1860.

Hindsight is a gift and a curse. We wonder how our predecessors acted so ignorant while simultaneously making the same mistakes.

So, turn out to the polls on Nov. 8. You may not be voting to prevent a civil war, but you will be voting for individuals to represent you in matters like abortion

rights, immigration, college debt, gun rights and health care.

These topics are what are glaring at us collectively, and to whittle the importance of elections down to a generalized perception of the evil “other side” is a disservice to democracy and the true issues at hand.

No one knows the consequences of the little bubble you fill in when choosing your representatives. However, that dread should not overwhelm American voters, especially considering the U.S. has been trailing lately in voter participation behind other developed nations.

This is not the time to be wary of exercising your rights as a citizen. We have a chance to maintain a relatively young democracy that still has a good amount of gas in the tank.

Fire won’t rain down from the heavens if people elect the wrong candidate.

All we can do is try our best, and presuming the Carolinas don’t have rebellious thoughts anytime soon, we can worry less about a potential civil war and focus on the larger issues at hand.

Aaron is a freshman in DGS.

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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PUZZLES

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

RELEASE DATE—Sunday, October 30, 2022

Los Angeles TimesTimes Sunday Sunday CrosswordCrossword Puzzle Los Angeles

Sudoku

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

92 94 95 101 103 104 105 106 108 109 113 115 118 119 120 121 122

123 Meal in a bowl Haitian friend “Sold out” sign 124 Ongoing drama 125 Trapshooting “Heavens!”

Scepter top DOWN 109-Across 1 __ the Elder: maker’s need Roman Philly Ivy historian “Please let me?”

2 Geometry Wedding or calculation merger?

3 Ariana Grande’s Life’s work “Thank U, __” Opposition 4 Free group 5 Snatch Fitness 6 Grand Slam portmanteau component Fleecy boots 7 Doesn’t put up a Suppresses, as fight bad news 8 Like whiskey French infinitive and wine Dove bar 9 Bewitch Is inclined 10 “Scoot!”

Marble top or 11 Bring in butcher block?

12 Comedian Amalfi Coast Phyllis country 13 “Makes sense” Capital of 14 Google Play 118-Across download Old Dodge 15 “What’s the Ghana’s capital __?”: slangy Accounted for a “What gives?” bag, say

16 Cause of a product recall, perhaps 17 Pop star John 18 Campus officials 24 __ buco 25 Point the finger at 30 Like reasonably strong bonds 33 “If it __ broke ... ” 34 Defeated, as a dragon 36 Tupperware top 37 “Chicago” choreographer 38 Cheering loudly 39 Fabric store section 40 “Shazam!” actor Zachary 41 Somewhat 46 First name in civil rights history 47 Clive of “Gosford Park” 49 Fancy jug 50 Jaipur attire 52 Avocado dip, for short

53 Going up 54 IT dept. array 57 Member of an Iraqi religious minority 58 “__ whiz!”

59 Fled 62 Scoreboard abbr. for a rainout 64 Ante65 Fencing blade 66 Actor Mineo 67 Shortened title 68 Really small 69 Norwegian banking hub 70 C-section souvenir 71 Stealthy thief 72 Bass beer 75 Field day equipment 76 Tehran resident 77 Final installment, perhaps 78 “Eighth Grade” actress Fisher 80 Local leaders 81 Bad sign

82 Orchard units 83 Ages 87 Verizon Wireless rival 89 Wound cover 91 Tell a story 92 Thus far 93 Mesh 96 Snuggle (in) 97 Tattle on 98 Guarantee 99 Literary realm by the River Shribble 100 Light shirts 101 Measure up 102 Anxious feeling 107 Helps reduce swelling 108 Writer Bombeck 110 Formerly 111 Good-sized yard 112 __ moss 114 “Sammy the Seal” writer Hoff 116 SLR camera by 1-Across 117 Many grad students, for short

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org/uk

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Answers to this week’s puzzles

10/30/22

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ANSWER TO TODAY’S PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 PowerShot camera-maker 6 Arches National Park state 10 Middle of a Latin boast 14 Threw in 19 Skybox setting 20 Herb with grayish leaves 21 Novelist Kingsley 22 “Get Out” writer/ director Jordan 23 “An Introduction to Calculus” or “The Art of Public Speaking”?

26 Trattoria fare 27 Vow 28 Went quickly 29 Picnic container 31 Sphinx, in part 32 Relieves 34 Make a point 35 Straightens up 37 Christian Louboutin shoes or a Fendi bag?

42 Hunter near the Pleiades 43 Poke fun at 44 King or queen, but not prince 45 Yo lead-in 48 Chemistry lab substances 51 “C’est la __!”

52 Crossword diagram 54 Snow remover 55 Fifth Avenue retailer 56 Entrance 58 Gibson Flying V or Fender Stratocaster?

60 Gaelic tongue 61 Big Band __ 62 Little round vegetables 63 Dam that created Lake Nasser 64 Emmy statue or the Stanley Cup? 69 TV grouch 73 Apple tablet 74 Scot’s refusal 75 Speak (up) 79 Richter or Mohs?

82 Indie pop duo __ and Sara 84 Spoken 85 Behind schedule

86 87 88 90 91

10/30/22

“THIS OR THAT, FOR TWO” BY CHRISTINA IVERSON

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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OPINIONS

The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

15

Democrats need to take firmer action EDDIE RYAN

SENIOR COLUMNIST

Almost immediately following President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 general election, it became clear that relief was a premature sensation. The narrative so many had worked so diligently to instill — that 2020 was a laststand moment to defeat Trumpism and save democracy — gave a soft hiss and sagged to the floor.

Within days of the election, I can remember reading a piece in The Atlantic, warning of the very real danger of a “competent” version of Trump: a new leader who could harness Trump’s appeal with far more savvy and far less idiocy.

That piece and all that followed before Biden’s inauguration — most memorably the Jan. 6 capitol insurrection — boded quite poorly. The picture of America’s present electoral reality was visible even then. The “last stand for democracy” push turned out not to be a one-time deal; every election in the foreseeable future will carry the same weight.

The 2022 midterms are no exception.

With figures like Liz Cheney — decent but severely overpraised — increasingly out of the picture, the Republican Party is squarely in Trump’s grip.

Legions of local, state and national candidates have taken up Trump’s babbling cry of election fraud. Men like Dr. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker have clumsily attempted to emulate Trump’s celebrity-politician model. On the whole, the party relies on an apparently intoxicating mix of conspiracy, incoherence and bigotry — rarely policy — to attract voters.

This formula will win them the House of Representatives and perhaps the Senate. Sitting presidents can always expect some midterm losses in one or both chambers of Congress, but a Republican Senate would be particularly disastrous. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have tried valiantly to make it one since 2020. If their dream manifests, not even a well-timed budget reconciliation will save Biden’s agenda.

Without the legislature, Biden would have to rely almost entirely on the executive decree. He has a mandate to secure reproductive rights, combat climate change, restore voting rights

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOVERNOR TOM WOLF/FLICKR

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman attends a flag order he issued for two state police troopers killed in the line of duty on March 21. and improve racial and gender equity.

Something tells me that’s a bit much to ask of such a narrow-scope policy tool.

An unproductive second half of Biden’s term caused by Republican obstruction in the Senate would also hurt Democrats in 2024, potentially reopening the doors of the White House to another tinpot dictator — quite possibly Trump himself. The corrupt elements many new voters thought they were casting out in 2020 may define this decade of American politics.

The future hinges on a few key Senate races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Nevada. Incumbents Raphael Warnock and Catherine Cortez Masto fight challengers who fit the aforementioned Republican mold. In Pennsylvania, Dr. Oz faces progressive Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

Holding all else constant, Democrats need two of these races to keep the Senate. Pennsylvania may prove most decisive.

Fetterman has some of the fresh appeal Democrats struggle to conjure. Though not a uniform progressive, he’s close enough, and his casual dress and demeanor counter the elitist image Democrats can’t shake. Though the Dr. Oz campaign’s determination

to prey on Fetterman’s health issues may hurt the lieutenant governor — not much of a bedside manner, eh? — the Democratic party needs more candidates like him.

In fact, Democratic messaging is one problem liberals can control. And it certainly is a problem.

It’s hard to maintain popularity when your enemies and their supporters have abandoned reason almost entirely.

But it’s also pretty difficult to view the Democratic Party as a victim.

Democrats have relied too heavily on empty unity talk and simplistic narratives in their response to Trump’s presidency, with CNN as the standard bearer of this vernacular.

The party itself isn’t very unified, for which progressives are often blamed.

Old guard Dems have routinely spat on new, left-leaning leaders only to watch these upstarts shape Biden’s entire domestic agenda.

The Democrats need younger, more dynamic leaders to excite — or at least retain — their base and draw independents. Older party elites embracing progressivism and relinquishing some of their tightly-held authority would be a good start toward this end.

This is not to call progressives fault-

less. Take the recently withdrawn letter to Biden regarding Ukraine — for Christ’s sake, know a foreign policy landmine when you see one!

More generally, progressive newcomers must be open to learning from party veterans without sacrificing their zeal. But it’s mostly on those vets to cultivate, not alienate, young leaders to contend with the new generation of equally zealous far-right candidates.

That said, Democrats’ biggest problem may be that voters simply don’t realize they’re benefiting from Democratic policies.

The New York Times’ David Leonhardt has often made this point in connection with the concept of the “submerged state.” There’s often so much bureaucracy in policy implementation that voters can’t detect benefits or trace them back to lawmakers. To a majority of Americans, Democratic economic policy plans already sell; now, Dems must improve at articulating this connection.

This is the party’s imperative regardless of midterm outcomes. Let’s hope they heed it.

Eddie is a senior in LAS. ecryan2@dailyillini.com

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The DI · Wednesday, November 2, 2022

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