The Vista Oct. 31, 2016

Who Will Earn Your Vote?

the VISTA

Special Election Issue Monday, Oct. 31, 2016

#2016Election

Democrat Republican Libertarian

What’s Inside

Page 3-4 Political Platforms

Page 6 Ballot Cheat Sheet

Page 7 What Does Your Vote Mean?

Page 8-9 Political Timeline

Page 10-13 Guide to State Questions

CONTENTS

2

How Your Fellow Students Voted A Note From the Vista Editors:

In a poll conducted on the Vista’s Twitter on Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, Hillary Clinton received the most student votes, coming in at 45 percent of the 95 final responses. Donald Trump came in second at 36 percent, with Gary Johnson in third at 19 percent. The poll was up for voting over a two-day period via Twitter. (Screenshot provided by The Vista Twitter.)

The Vista’s Editorial Staff wants to remind you that, as a citizen of the United States of America and a registered voter, each of us have the right and privilege to vote in the coming election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016.

The Vista is here to help inform you about platforms, state questions and any other information you might need before you head to the polls.

Inside, you’ll find just that.

If you don’t know where to vote, visit https://services.okelections.us/ voterSearch.aspx to find where you are registered.

Be sure to find your voting place before the day of the election, and have your Oklahoma State I.D. on hand for verification.

Happy Voting!

- Vista Staff

(On the cover left) Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton arrives with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for the third presidential debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (On the cover middle) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump stands on stage after the third presidential debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Locher) (On the cover right) Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson delivers remarks at Liberty University on Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 in Lynchburg, Va. (Jay Westcott/The News & Advance via AP) (Party logos provided by Fact Monster, Pocket Fives, and Logospike. )

CONTENTS Election Signs................................................3

Political Timeline.......................................8-9

Political Platforms......................................4-5

Guide to State Questions........................10-13

Ballot Cheat Sheet.........................................6

Sample Ballot..........................................14-15

What Does Your Vote Mean?.........................7

Gary Johnson................................................16

STAFF NAME AND POSITION

Kateleigh Mills Alex Brown A . Suave Francisco Cara Johnson Ta y l o r M i c h a u d Elisabeth Slay Elizabeth Spence Megan Prather Queila Omena Peter Agnitsch Ike Wilcots Ryan Naeve Te d d y B u r c h

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r Re p o r t e r S p o r t s Re p o r t e r S p o r t s Re p o r t e r Photographer Advisor

Advertise with

the

VISTA

The Vista is published weekly during the spring, summer and fall semesters. In all issues, The Vista has opportunities for both classified, online and print ads.

Email your questions to:

ucovista.advertising@gmail.com

The Vista is published as a newspaper and public forum by UCO students weekly during the academic year at the University of Central Oklahoma. The issue price is free for the first copy and $1 for each additional copy obtained.

EDITORIALS Opinion columns, editorial cartoons, reviews and commentaries represent the views of the writer or artist and not necessarily the views of The Vista Editorial Board, the Department of Mass Communication, UCO or the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges. The Vista is not an official medium of expression for the Regents or UCO. LETTERS The Vista encourages letters to the editor. Letters should address issues and ideas, not personalities. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, and must include the author’s printed name, major, classification and phone number. Phone numbers are included for contacting purposes only. Letters are subject to editing for libel, clarity and space or to eliminate statements of questionable taste. The Vista reserves the right not to publish submitted letters.

Address letters to: Editor, The Vista, 100 N. University Dr., Edmond, OK 73034-5209, or deliver in person to the editor in the Communications Building, Room 131.

Letters can be emailed to thevista1903@gmail.com.

ELECTION SIGNS

3

Election Signs and Voter Turnout Elizabeth Spence @lizzlynn Reporter

The 2016 Presidential Election is coming up, and voters are showing their support through commercials, bumper stickers and, most commonly, yard signs.

The voter effect when it comes to election yard signs has a one percent turnout rate.

Although residents still post political yard signs showing their support, there are more effective ways to turn votes.

“What’s more effective in increasing turnout is actually, and particularly in a state like Oklahoma, door to door campaigning ... That seems to be most effective,” said Jan Hardt, University of Central Oklahoma professor of Political Science.

Hardt said that there are specific ways to get votes in Oklahoma because people differ from state to state, and it can be difficult to figure this strategy out.

“The other thing that seems to be very effective in a state like Oklahoma is holding up a sign in the middle of a street corner and saying ‘Vote

for me’ during the election,” Hardt said.

There was an example given by Hardt where a candidate stood in the rain holding his own election sign, telling those passing by to vote for him. That specific candidate won the election by five percent.

Commercials also play a role in elections. There are positive and negative commercials where candidates talk about and uplift themselves while telling people to vote for them.

There are also commercials that tell people not to vote for their opposing candidates and then list reasons why, ending them by stating their names and approving the commercials’ messages.

“Commercials tend to be a mixed [result]. A lot of people say, ‘Well I don’t pay attention because all commercials are negative,” Hardt said.

“What studies have actually found is that the negative commercials actually do more to increase turnout than to decrease turnout.”

Whether it’s commercials, yard signs or politicians standing of the side of the street, all of these tactics add some effect on voters and their decisions. The most effective tactic

A supporter holds a sign before President Barack Obama speaks in support of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

in Oklahoma remains door to door campaigning and word of mouth by the candidate and his or her party.

The most important thing to remember, according to Hardt, is to go out and exercise your right to vote.

“One thing that I can say, whether you’re Democrat, Republican or

Independent, make sure to go out and vote, because Nov. 8 there are seven state questions on the ballot, five of which will change the Oklahoma Constitution,” said Hardt. “Even if you aren’t excited about certain political candidates, think about lower races and state legislative races.”

Billy Prater, 27, adjusts a Donald Trump sign on his fence in Beech Creek, W.Va., in Mingo County on April 28, 2016. Laid off from the mines, he had been out of work for more than a year. Now he works for the railroad, but the major customer is the collapsing coal industry, so his work is unsteady. He was a registered Democrat from a family of diehard Democrats. But when he hung the Trump sign, his neighbors started calling and sending him messages, asking where he got it and how to get their own. “Everybody on this creek wants one,” he said. “He’s honest. He says things that he probably shouldn’t say. We respect that, because it means he’s not buttering us up.” (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro)

4

PLATFORMS

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks at an early voting rally on the Broward College campus in Coconut Creek, Fla. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. (Maria Lorenzino /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson gestures while delivering remarks at Liberty University on Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 in Lynchburg, Va. (Jay Westcott/The News & Advance via AP)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

IMMIGRATION

ABORTION

As president, Hillary Clinton will introduce comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to equal citizenship within her first 100 days of office — amending the current law that states you need a waiver or visa to be in the country for three to 10 years — and defend President Obama’s executive actions, known as DACA and DAPA, against partisan attacks. Clinton also wants to implement support immigrant integration by creating a National Office of Immigrant Affairs; promote naturalization by expanding fee waivers to alleviate naturalization costs; promote language programs to help immigrants with speaking English; expand access to affordable health care to all families; end family detention and close private immigration detention centers; enforce immigration laws humanely.

Clinton reaffirmed her support for Planned Parenthood during her first speech as the Democratic presidential nominee. Clinton plans to protect women’s health and reproductive rights by “defending access to affordable contraception, preventive care, and safe and legal abortion — not just in principle, but in practice.”

Clinton said Roe v. Wade “is the touchstone of reproductive freedom, the embodiment of our most fundamental rights, and no one — no judge, no governor, no senator, no president — has the right to take it away.

“We're always going to argue about abortion. It's a hard choice, and it’s controversial, and that's why I'm pro-choice, because I want people to make their own choices.” – Hillary Clinton

Governors Johnson and Weld believe that we should create an efficient system of providing work visas, conducting background checks and incentivizing non-citizens to pay their taxes, as well as obtaining proof of employment and otherwise assimilate with our diverse society.

Johnson and Weld believe by making it simpler and more efficient to enter the United States legally, that will provide "greater security than a wall" by allowing law enforcement to focus on those who threaten our country and not those who want to be good citizens.

“Immigration is a good thing. We should make that as easy as possible.” – Gary Johnson.

As Governor, Gary Johnson supported efforts to ban late-term abortions, but Gov. Johnson understands that the right of a woman to choose is protected by law, and that right “must be respected, despite his personal aversion to abortion.”

Johnson believes that the decision to have an abortion is both personal and individual, and is best left to women and families, not the government.

Gov. Johnson believes that women seeking to exercise their legal right “must not be subjected to prosecution or denied access to health services by politicians in Washington or anywhere else.”

“Appreciate Life. Respect Choice.

Stay out of personal decisions.”

– Gary Johnson

Trump wants to restore the integrity to the United States' immigration system by prioritizing the interests of the American people first; enforce U.S. immigration laws at the border and at the workplace; build a border wall and end sanctuary cities; send criminal aliens home; welcome those who embrace the American way of life and keep out immigrants and refugees who do not go through rigorous vetting.

“They're bringing drugs; they're bringing crime; they're rapists,” Donald Trump said of undocumented Mexican immigrants while announcing his candidacy last June.

The principal responsibility of the United States federal government is to protect the rights of its citizens.

Life is the most important right.

The federal government should not belittle this right by rejecting its protection. Trump is opposed to abortion except for rape, incest and life of the mother. He strongly opposes the use of government funds to pay for abortions.

“Public funding of abortion providers is an insult to people of conscience at the least and an affront to good governance at best.”

– Donald Trump

GUN CONTROL

PLATFORMS FOREIGN EDUCATION POLICY

5

CIVIL LIBERTIES

Clinton wants to expand background checks for gun sales and close the gun show loophole (“Charleston Loophole”). Clinton wants to challenge the gun lobby by removing the industry’s sweeping legal protection for illegal and irresponsible actions and revoking licenses from dealers who break the law. “Keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, other violent criminals, and the severely mentally ill by supporting laws that stop domestic abusers from buying and owning guns, making it a federal crime for someone to intentionally buy a gun for a person prohibited from owning one, and closing the loopholes that allow people suffering from severe mental illness to purchase and own guns. She will also support work to keep military-style weapons off our streets.”

Clinton wants to ensure that we are stronger in America by investing in the infrastructure, education and innovation. Clinton plans to reduce income inequality, stick with our allies by strengthening the essential partnerships between the U.S. and the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and through this she will continue to support Israel’s ability to support itself. Clinton plans to embrace all the tools of American power, diplomacy and development, prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, build stronger ties between Cubans and Americans, stand up to Vladimir Putin and hold China accountable.

“I believe the future holds far more opportunities than threats if we exercise creative and confident leadership that enables us to shape global events rather than be shaped by them.”

-Hillary Clinton

“Every student should have the option to graduate from a public college or university in their state without taking on any student debt.

By 2021, families with income up to $125,000 will pay no tuition at in-state four-year public colleges and universities. And from the beginning, every student from a family making $85,000 a year or less will be able to go to an in-state four-year public college or university without paying tuition.” Clinton plans to have community colleges offer free tuition.

Clinton wants states to step up and invest in higher education. “Colleges and universities will be held accountable for the success of their students and for controlling tuition costs.”

“Let’s … make debt-free college available to everyone. ... And let’s liberate the millions of Americans who already have student debt.”

-Hillary Clinton

Clinton wants to fight for full federal equality for LGBT Americans and support LGBT youth, parents and elders. Clinton also wants to honor the military service of LGBT people. She wants to fight for an AIDS-free generation and protect transgender rights, and individuals will be protected from violence; it will be made easier for transgender Americans to change their gender marker on identification documents, and invest in law enforcement training focused on fair and impartial policing. Clinton also wants to implement its protecting human rights of the LGBT people around the world.

“There are still too many places where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans are targeted for harassment and violence. There are still too many young people out there feeling hopeless and alone."

-Hillary Clinton

I'm one of those who believe the bumper sticker: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. The first people who are going to be in line to turn in their guns are law-abiding citizens. Criminals are going to be left with guns. I believe that concealed carry is a way of reducing gun violence.”

"I don't believe the laws regarding guns are effective. We're allowed to bear arms. It's part of a free society."

“I don't believe there should be any restrictions when it comes to firearms. None.” – Gary Johnson

As President, Gary Johnson will cut off the funding on which violent extremist armies depend. Johnson also wants to repair relationships with our allies and will only send soldiers to war when authorized by Congress. The idea that we can defeat terrorism by simply putting more boots on the ground or dropping more bombs “ignores the reality that this expensive tactic simply hasn’t worked. In fact, it’s made the situation worse.”

“We need to build a strong military, but we should not use our military strength to try to solve the world’s problems. Doing so creates new enemies and perpetual war.”

– Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson believes that state and local governments should have more control over education and that decisions that affect our children “should be made closer to home, not by bureaucrats and politicians in Washington, D.C.” To do this, Johnson believes we should eliminate the federal Department of Education and Common Core. Johnson and Weld believe that the key to restoring education excellence in the U.S. “lies in innovation, freedom and flexibility that Washington, D.C. cannot provide.”

“Washington can’t educate our kids. We used to have the brightest kids in the world, and we can again, but the Department of Education stands in the way.” – Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson believes that people should make the choices in their personal lives, not politicians.

“Responsible adults should be free to marry whom they want, arm themselves if they want and lead their personal lives as they see fit, as long as they aren’t harming anyone else in doing so.”

“We live in America. We live in a free society where we are able to make choices. It's about giving individuals freedoms and holding them accountable.” – Gary Johnson

Trump supports the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms. He wants to increase the prosecution of violent criminals; believes we must get gang members and drug dealers off the street to make our cities and communities safer; wants to enable law-abiding gun owners to protect themselves; wants to expand mental health programs and keep the violent, mentally ill off of our streets.

“It's too bad that some of the young people that were killed over the weekend didn't have guns attached to their [hip], frankly, where bullets could have flown in the opposite direction,” – Donald Trump said of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Trump's foreign policy plan will focus on making America safe again by destroying radical Islamic terrorist groups. Trump will end the nuclear deal with Iran and the ransom payments to the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism. Trump wants America to stand with its allies and end the Obama-Clinton practice of apologizing to our enemies.

“America First will be the major and overriding theme of my administration,” – Donald Trump, during his first major foreign policy speech in April.

Trump believes every child in America deserves a great education and an opportunity to achieve their dreams. Trump wants to develop new education options for students through school choice and charters and respect homeschoolers in their quest for educational alternatives.

Trump also plans make it easier for families to afford college so students aren’t buried in debt.

“I'm a tremendous believer in education, but education has to be at a local level. We cannot have the bureaucrats in Washington telling you how to manage your child's education,” – Donald Trump

When it comes to the balancing security and privacy, Trump wants to remain on the side of security. Trump believes the U.S. should reestablish Patriot Act requirements, enable metadata collection for anti-terror surveillance with court controlled access, analyze social media of those seeking to enter the US and limit the ability of ISIS to use the internet to spread terrorism.

“I want surveillance, and I don't care; are you ready for this, are you ready?” – Donald Trump

Information found from www.johnsonweld.com/issues/, www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/, WIAT Birmingham TV, Center for Public Integrity, www.hillaryclinton. com/briefing/factsheets, San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Times, PolitiFact.com, WJLA-TV.

BALLOT CHEAT SHEET

6

Do You Know Your Presidents?

Across

Down 1) In what city was William McKinley assassinated?

2) Who was the only unanimously elected President by the Electoral College?

3) Who awarded Rosa Parks the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

5) Only President to serve more than two terms?

6) Who was the first President to appoint an African American to the Supreme Court?

7) Who was the first President to appear on TV? 9) Who was the first President to be impeached?

12) What was the covert operation established during the Nixon presidency to prevent the leaking of classified information to the news media commonly known as?

16) Who is the only President to resign from office?

19) Which President signed the Civil Rights Act that extended the rights of emancipated slaves?

4) What disease did John F. Kennedy contract as a child?

8) Who was the first President born outside the contiguous United States?

10) Which U.S. President signed the treaty to purchase Alaska from Russia?

11) Who called for an Indian Removal Act in his State of the Union Message and eventually signed the act into law?

13) Who was the first President to win the Nobel Peace Prize?

14) Only President to serve two non-consecutive terms?

15) Walt Whitman’s poem “Oh Captain, My Captain” was written about which President?

17) How many future Presidents signed the Declaration of Independence?

18) Who was the oldest elected President?

20) Who was the first President to live in the White House?

Ballot Cheat Sheet

Did you know voters are allowed to bring in “cheat sheets” into polling places? The Vista staff has compiled short summaries to the seven State Questions that will be on the Oklahoma ballots November 8, 2016. Feel free to cut this out and make your own notes in the spaces provided. All Article facts compiled from VoteSmart.org.

SQ 776- Passing this will put SQ 777- Passing this right to SQ 779- Passing this would add SQ 780- Passing this will the death penalty in Oklahoma’s constitution and will allow any method of execution to be used as long as it is legal under the federal constitution. This includes capital punishments such as death by lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging and firing squad according to deathpenalty. org.

SQ 790- Passing this would

repeal the article in the Oklahoma Constitution that stops the state government from using public money or property for the direct or indirect benefit of any religion or religious institution.

farm would add a new section to Section 38, Article 2. This would protect the rights of citizens and lawful residents to engage in farming and ranching practices. As this question is broadly written, farms and ranches that would be protected under the new addition would include industrial factory farms, foreign corporations and operations that consider themselves farms such as puppy mills and cockfighting.

a new article to the State Constitution that would create a limited purpose fund for improving public education. It will allocate funds for specific purposes including but not limited to: increasing teacher salaries, increasing high school graduation rate and improving higher education. It will also require an annual audit of the use of the funds and will prohibit the funds to be used for administrative salaries.

SQ 792- Passing this would repeal Article 28 and will restructure laws governing alcoholic beverages. Passage of this state question will change the current laws allowing liquor stores to sell grocery items and convenience and grocery stores to sell liquor, wine and high point beer.

reclassify non-violent drug possession crimes and minor property theft from a felony to a misdemeanor

SQ 781- If SQ 780 is passed, then this will utilize the funds that will be saved on incarceration to provide mental health and substance abuse services.

WHAT DOES YOUR VOTE MEAN?

7

One Tenth of One Percent Know Their Rights Elisabeth Slay @Eslayslay Reporter

Citizens of the United States are aware of the first amendment, though the context of the amendment may be interpreted differently among people.

Like other groups, college students are a specific demographic that have their own perspective on the meaning of the amendment.

“I interpret it similarly to how most Americans interpret it — that Americans have the rights to speech that’s free from the pressures of government doctrine, that the press and organized institutions should be free. Also, the government should not prevent religious practice that is not otherwise harmful,” Junior and Biomedical Engineering major, Austin Doughty said.

According to American Government professor Loren Gatch at the University of Central Oklahoma, students are, for the most part, very knowledgeable on their simple rights.

“They have a pretty good basic grasp of what those rights are. I do think that they tend to confuse civil liberties — what’s in the Bill of Rights — with civil rights, which flow from the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. [However], I understand how it can be difficult to keep the two ideas separate,” Gatch said.

However, according to Director of the Oklahoma Collegiate Media Association and Oklahoma State University Associate Professor Joey Senat, college students and most citizens do not really grasp the concept of the first Bill of Right.

“I think probably most Americans don’t even know whats in the first amendment.

One tenth of one percent of Americans can list all five of the rights,” Senat said.

Senat said that, specifically in Oklahoma, it is important for people to be aware of their rights because the state’s (Photo provided by Pixabay.com)

own constitution has special protection of speech and press.

“I think the important principle that the first amendment protects is the right to [an] opinion — not that everything you say goes unpunished, but that the government can’t control the way you think and communicate your thoughts with others,” Doughty said.

However, according to Gatch, students often seem to misunderstand the true context of the element of freedom of speech.

“When it comes to the first amendment, I find that college students seem to think it provides more protection for free speech than it actually does. The first amendment protects you against the government trying to shut you up. It doesn’t prevent your employer from firing you for saying something,” Gatch said.

There are other students, such as junior and Family Life Education major Addison Elledge, who also views the information contrary to the common interpretation.

“It’s kind of contradictory because we can say what we want. However, you have to pay attention to the context you say it in and know when you should or should not say something,” Elledge said.

First amendment rights cannot be tainted for anyone; however, politics may be effective in meeting certain rights pertaining to a specific group.

According to Senat, knowledge of the first amendment rights will be beneficial in political influence.

“I try to teach my students when it comes to your rights, people will do to you what you let them to do to you,” Senat said.

There are issues that students have to face, but they do not seem to participate in both national and local elections as

older citizens do.

“Students’ involvement in elections has been pretty stable over the last 30 years or so. They tend to not be involved as other voters. Younger people tend not to vote as much as do older people,” Gatch said.

According to Gatch, with the exception of the 2008 Obama election, the voter turnout for people ages 18-29 for other elections has ranged 30-40 percent.

“Young people tend not to vote as much as do older people because they are not as settled as older voters with jobs and families and homes and all the rest. When you are older and have those responsibilities, you begin to see the connections between politics and one’s personal life,” Gatch said.

Although, according to American Democracy Project student worker Rachelle Thibodeau, young people can have an effect on the election if they vote.

“I think [voting] can have a major impact on the election. I know that our state is mostly republican, but that’s changed in the past, and you see more democrats.

New movements happen all the time, and if enough people decide that’s how it’s going to be, then we can change things,” Thibodeau said.

In its entirety, the Constitution serves as a document to support the concept of democracy. According to Gatch, for this ideology to stay consistent, citizens need to be educated about their rights and their politics.

“Democracy works only when people believe in it. It’s not some kind of machine that operates independently of its citizens. When we forget that, we tend to leave political decisions in the hands of people who may not have our best interests at heart,” Gatch said.

Election Timeline

8

June 16, 2015- Donald Trump

March 2, 2015- New York Times article

launches his bid for the White House with a speech that focuses on illegal immigration.

stated Jason R. Baron, former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, claimed Clinton violated government rules with private emails and email server.

June 14, 2015- Bill Clinton tells

Jake Tapper of CNN he doesn’t know if there were conflicts of interest with the Clinton Foundation.

January 2015

June 2015

March 2015

April 12, 2015- Clinton announces her candidacy for the democratic nomination for president of the United States.

February 1, 2016- Ted Cruz wins the Iowa caucus and Trump finishes second.

February 5, 2016- Clinton’s

March 9, 2016- Clinton suffers a big upset

31-point lead over Sanders vanishes as Bernie Sanders continues to draw large crowds to daily rallies.

February 9, 2016- Trump wins

the New Hampshire GOP primary.

February 10, 2016- Christie

drops out of the 2016 GOP primary.

Immediately after suspending his campaign, Christie joins Trump’s team as a surrogate.

January 2016 February 18, 2016- Trump gets into an

argument with Pope Francis over immigration reform. Francis tells reporters, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” Trump’s campaign responds with a statement that calls Francis’ remarks “disgraceful.” The GOP candidate later tempers his remarks and tells CNN, “I don’t like fighting with the Pope.”

January 6, 2016- Gary Johnson

announced his candidacy for the Libertarian nomination for the president of the United States.

June 6, 2016- Clinton secures the

with primary loss to Bernie Sanders in the state of Michigan, further establishing his case for the Democratic nomination.

2,383 delegates required to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

March 11, 2016- Trump cancels a campaign rally in Chicago, citing safety concerns.

June 20, 2016- Trump May 26, 2016-

March 30, 2016- Trump says in Trump secured his an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that women who get illegal abortions should be punished.

1,238th delegate, achieving a majority of the available delegates.

March 2016

fired his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, reportedly in response to lagging fundraising and campaign infrastructure, as well as power struggles within the campaign.

June 2016 May 17, 2016- Clinton

stops a streak of primary losses by defeating Bernie Sanders in Kentucky.

May 29, 2016- Gary Johnson wins the Libertarian party presidential nomination.

May 18, 2016- Johnson announces that William Weld will be his running mate.

May 4, 2016- John Kasich, the last man standing between Trump

and the GOP nomination, suspends his campaign, having accumulated 153 total delegates.

July 10, 2015- The FBI’s Clinton

investigation begins, focusing on determining whether classified information was transmitted or stored on unclassified systems in violation of federal criminal statutes and whether classified information was compromised by unauthorized individuals.

July 14, 2015- Trump leads

the entire GOP field in a poll released by USA TODAY/ Suffolk University. This is the first time that he has taken the number one spot.

Election Timeline

9

September 10, 2015-

Trump hits an all-time polling high of 32 percent in a survey released by CNN/ORC.

August 6, 2015-

Fox News hosts the first GOP Debate, attracting 24 million viewers, making it the highest-rated primary debate in television history.

October 13, 2015- The first Dem-

ocratic Debate hosted by CNN is held in Las Vegas.

July 2015

December 15, 2015-

Colin Powell thinks Benghazi was “a stupid manhunt,” and Condoleezza Rice agreed.

December 2015

September 2015 September 11, 2015- After pressure from supporters and aides, Clinton apologizes for email scandal.

August 20, 2015- Former CIA Director James Woosley suggests Clinton could have committed a felony with an unlawful use of an email server.

November 14, 2015-

CBS News hosted the second Democratic Debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Clinton, O’Malley and Sanders attended the debate.

December 7, 2015- Trump calls

for a “Muslim-ban” on CNN.

November 21, 2015- Trump tells a crowd at a campaign rally in Alabama that he saw “thousands” of Muslims cheering in New Jersey when the World Trade Center was brought down on September 11, 2001.

July 5, 2016 – FBI ends Clinton email probe and recommends no prosecution.

October 7, 2016- A tape of Trump speaking in lewd conversation about women is released.

July 15, 2016- Trump an-

nounces via Twitter that he had chosen Mike Pence to be his running mate.

November 8, 2016- Election day

will decide which candidate wins the presidency.

July 2015

December 2015

September 2016 August 2016- Donald Trump

held triple the number of events/ rallies that Hillary Clinton did.

Trump 32, Clinton-11

July 28, 2016 – At the Democratic

National Convention, Clinton becomes the first female presidential nominee in American history.

September 23, 2016-

October 28, 2016- While investi-

Referring to National Security, Clinton says the president’s most important job is to keep us safe.

September 10, 2016-

Clinton called out for calling Trump supporters ‘deplorables.’

gating Anthony Weiner’s electronic devices, the FBI uncovered new emails related to the Clinton case. The FBI is taking steps to determine whether they contain classified information.

October 7, 2016- WikiLeaks begins

publishing emails belonging to Clinton campaign chair John Podesta.

All images provided by AP Photo Exchange. Additional Information from www.hillaryclinton.com, www.donaldtrump.com, www.johnsonweld.com, www.Twitter.com @realDonaldTrump, www.thompsontimeline.com, www.aol.com, www.washingtonexaminer.com.

GUIDE TO STATE QUESTIONS

10

SQ776: Execution Methods Megan Prather @meganthefeline Reporter

Oklahoma’s statewide, general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and there are seven state questions that will be on the ballot. One of those seven questions will address method of execution for death row inmates, and it will also state that the death penalty is not cruel and unusual.

A ‘yes’ vote for SQ776 will put the death penalty in Oklahoma’s constitution and will allow any method of execution to be used as long as it is legal under the federal constitution.

The death penalty is currently legal in Oklahoma.

Lethal injection is currently the primary form of execution in the state; however, statutes allow gas inhalation, electrocution and firing squads as back up options. Voting ‘yes’ will keep these practices in use.

Oklahoma is ranked second in the country for the most executions a year, placing after Texas.

The state’s use of the death penalty faced some criticism due to a botched execution that took place in 2014.

Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett,

who was convicted in 2000 of first-degree murder, rape, kidnapping and robbery, lived for 43 minutes after the lethal injection drugs were administered before he died of a heart attack.

It was the state’s first attempt at using a new, three-drug concoction for an execution. This prompted state officials to place a ban on state executions until an investigation could determine what exactly went wrong.

It also halted the execution of Charles Warner that was scheduled for later that day.

Warner’s execution took place in 2015, and although he showed no physical signs of distress, he did say “my body is on fire” while lying on the gurney. He was pronounced dead 18 minutes after the lethal injection drugs were administered.

An anti-SQ776 group called Think Twice Oklahoma has been urging voters to think hard before voting ‘yes’ on SQ776. Members of the group said the state question not only cripples the judicial arm of government, but it would cost taxpayers an inordinate amount of money to defend challenges and to carry out executions.

There have been 156 people who have been wrongly convicted and

In this Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016 file photo, Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, speaks at a news conference called to oppose Oklahoma state question 776, in Oklahoma City. “If we cannot trust our state government to fund our schools, our hospitals, fund our infrastructure, how in the world can we continue to trust them to strap someone down on a table, put a needle in their arm and fill it full of poison until they’re dead,” said Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the Oklahoma Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

sentenced to the death penalty in the United States before a court order reversed their death sentences because of DNA evidence, ineffective defense lawyers or new information about the crimes. Oklahoma has wrongly con-

victed 10 death penalty survivors since the 1970s.

Thirty-two states currently utilize the death penalty, and three states — New Mexico, Maryland, and Connecticut — have voted to abolish it since 2009.

Event will stream live @ youtube.com/ucentralmedia

11

GUIDE TO STATE QUESTIONS

SQ777: Right to Farm Megan Prather @meganthefeline Reporter

The Right to Farm and Ranch Amendment, or State Question 777, is another issue you will see on your ballot on Nov. 8.

This bill will prevent the over-regulation on Oklahoma farmers and ranchers without compelling state interest and will maintain that no restrictions be made on any agricultural method.

The bill reads: “The rights of citizens and lawful residents of Oklahoma to engage in farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state. The Legislature shall pass no law which abridges the right of citizens and lawful residents of Oklahoma to employ agricultural technology and livestock production and ranching practices without a compelling state interest.”

The Right to Farm amendments passed in North Dakota in 2012 and in Missouri in 2014.

Mareta James works in the Agricultural Education Department at Missouri State University and said she believes strongly in the Right to Farm.

In this Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016 photo, cattle surrounded by dirt and dead grass can be seen following a tractor to be fed with hay on David Bailey’s farm, in Dawson, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

“I was in support of the Right to Farm Act in Missouri in 2014,” James said. “To me it’s simple: The Right to Farm Act protects our farmers, primarily from anti-farming interest groups.”

The question has caused some controversy and has sparked worry from environmentalists as well as animal rights activists. The Humane Society of the United States called the Right to Farm Act the “Right to Harm” in an advertisement opposing SQ 777.

There are local groups that oppose the bill as well, including the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, Oklahoma Coalition of Animals, The Humane Society of Tulsa, Oklahoma Sierra Club and the Oklahoma Coalition of Animal Rescuers.

Opponents of the piece of legislation claim that it will harm not only the environment and animal welfare, but family farmers and food safety as well.

“A majority of farmers want the best

for their animals and the best for their land,” James said.

However, opponents’ concerns extend past animal welfare and into water supply. The worry is that the State Question would make it harder to protect drinking water from pollution by animal waste disposal, which is something the state has had to deal with in the past due to pollution runoff from Arkansas.

SQ779: Penny Sales Tax to

Boost OK Education

Megan Prather @meganthefeline Reporter

After gathering over 300,000 signatures through petitions, State question 779 will be on the ballot on Nov. 8. SQ 779 will implement a one percent sales tax that will go to a teacher pay raise, public schools, higher education, early childhood education and career and technology education.

The tax is expected to raise an approximate $615 million in its first year and is expected solve the education funding crisis the state is facing.

Sixty percent of the money raised will go towards giving each teacher a $5,000 pay raise. Higher education will receive 19.25 percent of the funds, with public education receiving 9.5 percent. Early childhood education will get 8 percent, and career and technology education will walk away with 3.25 percent.

The group Say Yes to State Question 779 claims this is the real and comprehensive solution to the “education crisis” the state is facing. However, there are some who have worked in the public school system who do not believe this is the solution, and Jera Alcorn, former librarian, is one of those people.

“My experience working in the public school system has given me a different outlook on the state question because I know that teachers are not quitting and leaving the state solely because of money,” Alcorn said.

Alcorn has worked in the public school system, and said she believes that it has had an effect on her outlook on the state question.

“They are sickened by the idea that students are just statistics sitting in chairs for the benefit of the federal and state money,” she said.

Opponents of the tax also believe that there is already enough money in the state to solve the problems we’re seeing in the education system.

“There is plenty of money in the state for education. It is being mismanaged,” Alcorn said.

Oklahoma already has one of the highest sales tax rates in the nation at up to a rate of 10 percent in some areas.

“We have been told at least three times that a tax would solve the shortage: Pari-mutuel Betting, which is horse racing,” Alcorn said. “The Lottery, which is a tax on people who cannot do math, and Casino Gambling.

Where is all of that money going? It

Shawn Sheehan, Oklahoma’s 2016 Teacher of the Year, stands in his classroom in Norman, Okla., Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. A proposed 1 percent sales tax hike to fund public education and teacher pay raises is one of three state questions that were sent to Oklahoma’s November ballot through the initiative petition process. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

never trickles down to the teachers or students.”

However, there is still heavy support for the question from teachers and administration in the education system, as well by students here at UCO. Senior Ashley Sells voted early, and

she voted ‘yes’ on the State Question.

“I have a lot of teachers in my family, and I’ve always thought that they should be paid more,” Sells said.

“It’s wrong that education is such a last priority in this state.”

Polls will close on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

12

GUIDE TO STATE QUESTIONS

SQ 780/781: Non-Violent Drug Possession Crimes and Property Theft Megan Prather @meganthefeline Reporter

State Question 780 will reclassify non-violent drug possession crimes and minor property theft from a felony to a misdemeanor with State Question 781, utilizing the funds that will be saved on incarceration to provide mental health and substance abuse services.

The United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world. However, the United States homes less than five percent of the world’s total population.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of September 24, 2016, there were 83,609 inmates incarcerated for drug-related crimes, making up 46.4% of the total prison population of the United States. Currently, the average annual cost of incarceration per inmate in a federal facility is $31,977.65; however, in 2014, the state of Oklahoma spent $15,213 per inmate.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice, Oklahoma had the second highest incarceration rate in the country in 2014. In 2013, 10 percent of Oklahoma’s prison population consisted of drug possession offenders.

Proponents of the legislation believe that severe punishments, such as a prison sentence, for lower level crimes is contributing to the overpopulation of prisons in the state, which is an issue it’s had to deal with in recent years. Supporters also worry about how a felony conviction for low level crimes can affect someone’s entire life. A felony conviction can have a severe impact on one’s ability to find a good paying job as well as housing.

Supporters of SQ 781, which will cannot pass without SQ 780, believe that the state’s addressal of substance abuse and mental health problems could help stop these crimes from happening in the first place.

According to the Justice Policy Institute, “in-

creased admissions to drug treatment are associated with reduced incarceration rates.”

As of right now, small drug possession can be charged as a felony, but SQ 780 will change the drug possession offences from a felony to a misdemeanor with a punishment of up to one year in jail with a possible fine of up to $1,000.

Those opposed to SQ 780 claim that without a felony drug charge, offenders would be less likely to complete substance abuse programs. Some also state that while we should minimize sentences for nonviolent crimes, the crimes should still remain felonies so they will show up on an offender’s record to inform potential employers of the applicant’s criminal activity.

Organizations opposed to the passing of SQ 780 and 781 include the police union and the Oklahoma Association of Chief’s of Police.

A man prepares a blunt, a hollowed out cigar filled with marijuana. Oklahoma state questions 780 and 781 are concerned with the punishment for non-violent crimes such as drug posession or property theft. Photo provided by Martin Alonso.

13

GUIDE TO STATE QUESTIONS

SQ 790: Government to Assist Religious Institutions Through Public Funds Megan Prather @meganthefeline Reporter

State Question 790 will permit the use of public money and property for religious purposes by repealing Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution stating that.

“No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit or support of any sect, church, denomination or system of religion or for the use, benefit or support of any priest, preacher, minister or other religious teacher, dignitary or sectarian institution as such.”

Proponents of the question believe that it is a step towards religious liberty in the state; however, some Oklahoma residents aren’t so sure and believe that it will have the opposite effect.

“Passage of this bill would have at least three distinctly negative effects on the citizens of Oklahoma,” Vice President of Oklahoma Atheists, Damion Reinhardt, said.

Reinhardt stated that one of these effects include corrupting the churches by opening up churches, temples and mosques to sectarian conflict as various denominations and faiths engage in lobbying.

“No one can honestly believe that the pursuit of piety will be enhanced by the process of politicking,” Reinhardt said.

Another one of these effects would be undermining the state by allowing legislators to utilize public monies to politically favored faith schools at the expense of both public schools and religious minorities. The final reason is the potential for the State Question to invite “endless litigation.”

“SQ 790 would remove the venerable safeguards built into our state constitution against intermixing of faith and government,” Reinhardt said. “This would encourage legislators to experiment with further pushing the boundaries of the federal First Amendment prohibitions on such entanglement.”

Supporters of the State Question claim that the Oklahoma Supreme

In this Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 file photo, workers remove the Ten Commandments monument from its base on the grounds of the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Court’s interpretation of Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution, which prohibited the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on public grounds makes Oklahoma “hostile to religion.”

However, even if State Question 790 passes, there is still a possibility

of the United States Supreme Court ruling that the Ten Commandment Monument’s placement on public property violates the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution stating that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

SQ 792: Liquor Laws Looking to Change Megan Prather @meganthefeline Reporter

State Question 792 will change the current alcohol laws, allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell high-point beer and wine, as well as liquor.

Article 28 of the Oklahoma Constitution currently allows grocery and convenience stores to only sell low-point, 3.2, beer. However, these stores cannot sell wine, liquor or high-point beer. Liquor stores can sell liquor, wine and high-point beer, but they cannot sell other items of any kind.

“Liquor stores close at nine, and not being able to buy it anywhere else is really inconvenient,” sophomore Skyler Kaumbis said. “I do think it’ll have a negative impact on local liquor businesses, though.”

If State Question 792 is voted for, it will change the current laws, allowing liquor stores to sell grocery items and convenience and grocery stores to sell liquor, wine and high point beer.

Organizations such as ‘Say Yes to 792’ want to encourage people to vote yes to help boost the economy. It is also hoped that 792 will create jobs as well as convenience for shoppers.

However, some worry that voting ‘yes’ will have a negative impact on small liquor businesses.

Samantha Goddard is the owner of Cork and Bottle Wine Company in Edmond and has been in the business for eight years.

“It’ll definitely affect our business,” Goddard said.

“Change is good, but they’ve got to do it the right way and stop listening to the people with all of the money and start listening to the people who make the money.”

However, that’s not the only reason she’s concerned about the state question passing.

“I’ve been in business for eight years, and it’s work.

The laws now help to keep alcohol out of the hands of kids,” Goddard said.

The seven State Questions will be voted on Nov. 8.

The wine room at Moore Liquor is pictured in Moore, Okla., Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Changes to Oklahoma liquor laws are among the ballot measures facing voters this election. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma County Ballot

GARY JOHNSON

16

Other Option Besides Clinton or Trump Queila Omena @queilaomena Reporter

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have taken over the spotlight in this year’s Presidential election, though surprising to many, there is another candidate running for President of the United States.

Gary Earl Johnson, an American businessman, author and politician is the nominee for the Libertarian Party.

“We need to make America sane again,” Johnson said on his website, www.johnsonweld.com.

As a member of the Republican Party, Johnson served as the 29th Governor of New Mexico. His website states that despite New Mexico being an overwhelmingly Democratic state, Johnson was reelected to a second term by a wide margin.

According to Johnson’s website, he ran for Governor with no prior political resume other than his college degree. The Libertarian Presidential nominee has stated he believes himself to be libertarian-minded, even though he believes that good public policy should be based on practical cost and benefit analysis rather than ideologies.

“I hope that people will see that we don’t have to sit by the sidelines and watch as the two major parties limit their choices to slightly different flavors of the status quo. It is, in fact, possible to join the fray, stand up for principles and offer a real alternative,” Johnson said on his website.

Despite of a lot of citizens not knowing Johnson is running for President, this is not the first time Johnson was a candidate nominee for President of

the United States. He was the Libertarian Party’s nominee for the election in 2012.

Currently partnered with William Floyd “Bill” Weld, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2016 election, Johnson receives extra political support.

Weld was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1990 with 51 percent of votes. He was then re-elected in 1994, breaking a record of 71 percent of votes, a record that that still stands today.

Weld managed to cut taxes 21 times and did not permit any tax increases. He identified areas of government inefficiency and eliminated programs that weren’t beneficial to the population.

“Before my tenure people didn’t seem to think that citizens had a right to limit the size of their government,” Weld said on Johnson’s website.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Weld was rated the most fiscally conservative governor in the United States.

The Libertarian presidential nominee was asked

by MSNBC’S Chris Matthews to name any foreign leader he admired, and Johnson replied saying that it was the former Mexican President, but he didn’t name him.

“I guess I’m having an Aleppo moment ... the former president of Mexico,” said Johnson in the same interview.

Johnson’s website states that American liberties should be kept alive and not restricted as in spying private conversations, monitoring financial transactions and photographing license plates.

When it comes to religious protection and freedom in America, Johnson and Weld believe

the government needs to stop discrimination in employment and housing and needs to liberate citizens with religious freedom, states Johnson’s website.

“Yes, I understand the dynamics of the Syrian conflict — I talk about them every day. But hit with ‘What about Aleppo?’ I immediately was thinking about an acronym, not the Syrian conflict.

I blanked… It happens, and it will happen again during the course of this campaign. Can I name every city in Syria? No. Should I have identified Aleppo? Yes. Do I understand its significance?

Yes,” Johnson said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

When it comes to practical reform, Johnson said he doesn’t want to build a wall between America and Mexico, but rather plans to increase the size of ladders, the depth of tunnels and the width of divisions between countries.

Johnson and Weld have said they believe it’s important to defeat terrorism by cutting off funds to violent extremists armies depend, while repairing broken relationships between countries. They also want to implement a stronger military while still avoiding war, states Johnson’s website.

When it comes to drug on war, Johnson believes the federal government should not stand in the way of states that embrace the legalization of marijuana. Johnson wants to allow medical research on marijuana as it was proven to be safer and less addictive that current pain medications, states Johnson’s website.

As for now, Johnson has 5.5 percent of American votes, according to the Poll tracker at USA Today.

Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson shakes hands with supporters at Liberty University on Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 in Lynchburg, Va. (Jay Westcott/The News & Advance via AP)