To vote, or not to vote: The advocate’s advic e
This year, I’ve asked more people to vote than ever, and in doing so, I have come face to face with the question, “Why should I vote?” Initially, I was taken aback. I’m embarrassed to say that my first internal response was, “Because it’s an important thing to do.” Typically, I would respond by telling students about the Campus Cup, a statewide competition over voter registration between all the schools in Utah. I would chat with them about how the winner gets a big trophy and a visit from the lieutenant governor. But this is a reason to get registered, not a reason that will get students to the polls on election day.
As excited as I am to beat BYU in the race for the trophy, that doesn’t excuse my dismissal of a genuine question from students. I want to right that wrong.
In the question, “Why should I vote?,” millions of sub-questions are implied. Some students wonder, “Why should I vote when no politicians represent me?” Or, “Why should I vote when I don’t have a car to get to the polls?” And, “Why should I vote when I can’t afford to take a break from my job?”
These are questions worth answering, and they demand an answer as good as their real concerns. The barrier to entry can feel high when it comes to voting, especially when students struggle to take care of their physical needs. Politics can often feel removed from our daily realities. I don’t want to minimize that perspective. However, voting in all elections, not just our presidential ones, is one of the most important things we do as citizens. I would push back on the idea that politics is removed from students’ everyday lives. We are impacted by local, state and federal government decisions daily. Everything from the prohibition of Inclusion Centers in higher education to parking to federal financial aid for students is a decision determined at the state, local or federal levels of government.
As a fellow student, I understand the challenges you may face in getting to the poll, but I urge you to recognize the power of your vote as an investment in the kind of future you want to live in. In the 2016 presidential election, 71% of Americans over 65 voted, compared to 46% of 18 to 29-year-olds based on the U.S. Census Bureau data. Politicians know that they can’t win elections without performing well with seniors, so they tailor their policy proposals to benefit the largest voting population. Imagine if it was that way with younger voters. Your vote is not just a number, it’s a demonstration to politicians that your voting demographic is worth considering when they are making policy proposals.
When I vote, I understand I have the capability to shape my community. I feel connected to my neighbors and my country. American writer Sharon Salzberg wrote, “Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.” When I love something like I love my country, I want to make it better. I understand that we live in a flawed place. But my “more perfect union” involves many voices advocating and shaping our world for the better.
Dolores Huerta, a Chicano civil rights activist and a co-founder of the United Farm Workers, said, “If people don’t vote, everything stays the same. You can protest until the sky turns yellow or the moon turns blue, and it’s not going to change anything if you don’t vote.” Huerta was no stranger to protests and boycotts — in fact, they were key to her movement. However, Huerta knew her power to vote was critical, and she cherished it as a tool for change. Your vote is not just a mark
on a ballot. It’s a powerful tool for shaping the future you want to see. Your voice matters. If you are experiencing constraints like a lack of a vehicle, proper housing, food or warm clothes that would prevent you from getting to the polls, visit me in TSC 342.
If you don’t have the information you need to vote, come to Aggies Vote Week on Oct. 15-17, a week dedicated to empowering students to get involved in their communities. Please don’t forget to register before Oct. 25 to help us beat BYU.
I am always available to chat about your civic concerns. Don’t hesitate to stop by my office. I hope to see you on Election Day!
— Sydney Lyman, Student Advocate VP
You can contact the student avocate at studentadvocatevp.ususa@usu.edu.
Assessing judiciary performance
By Leah Call STATESMAN REPORTER
The Judicial Performance Evaluations Commission wants your input.
Founded in 2008 by the Utah State Legislature, the Judicial Performance Evaluations Commission is an independent state body responsible for assessing judges’ performance for voters. The commission consists of 13 commissioners who are appointed by Utah’s three branches of government to serve staggered terms. These volunteer commissioners come from a variety of professions, backgrounds and regions across Utah. It’s a component of the merit selection process in the state of Utah.
In an interview over the phone, executive director Mary-Margaret Pingree explained that the merit retention process in the Utah constitution prohibits partisan appointment of judges.
“Recognizing that judges are accountable to you, the voters, helps you really understand how you can make a difference in this process, because your vote is your voice,” Pingree said.
The focus is on a person’s qualifications when they are applying to be a judge. The first step is a position opening up, following a judicial nominating commission. Those who are interested in becoming a judge apply to the judicial nominating commission. The commission interviews the candidates, looks at their qualifications and picks the five most qualified people. Those names are forwarded to the governor, who interviews those five people and picks the person he thinks is the most qualified. The Senate also looks at their qualifications and eventually will confirm or not confirm the appointment. Public input is also a part of the process.
“There’s a real focus on how qualified a person is for the job,” Pingree said. “The person takes the bench and becomes a judge, and after they’ve been on the bench for a while, then voters get a chance to weigh in, and we are part of the last part of the merit selection process, which is helping voters decide whether they think that judge should continue to be a judge.”
The commission uses eight criteria sets to evaluate judges, but assess more heavily on legal ability, integrity and judicial temperament, administrative skill and procedural fairness.
The organization has a section on its web-
site where the public can submit comments if they have had experiences with a judge. Additionally, they survey attorneys, court staff, social workers and anyone who has been in a judge’s courtroom. These surveys include questions related to four specific areas, and the results are summarized and made available to voters. The summary is presented numerically, allowing users to see how a judge compares to their peers on a scale of one to five. If a user selects a judge from Logan, they can view that judge’s performance relative to others in each category.
The organization also conducts courtroom observations by sending regular citizens to observe judges, with the resulting reports accessible on the website for voters to read.
Brett Folkman, a trial court executive in Logan’s First District Court oversees the management and administration of operations within the court. Folkman said JPEC evaluations are valuable to judges for multiple reasons.
“It gives them an idea of how they’re seen on the bench, and gives them some good feedback about positive or negative feedback about the way they’re perceived,” Folkman said.
Pingree said one of the biggest challenges the commission faces is making the process as unbiased as possible. When commissioners evaluate a judge, they eliminate bias by removing any potentially biasing information from their assessment. The commissioners, who review all the relevant data, can check online how judges fare against minimum performance standards. In preparing this data, the evaluators strip away details such as the judge’s gender, location and age, which could influence the commissioners’
judgments. The goal is to provide the public with an objective evaluation of a judge’s qualifications.
“Judges impact our lives in a lot of different ways. I think there’s a heightened awareness of judges’ decisions right now. I think people are paying attention to judges, not just statewide, but nationally,” Pingree said.
JPEC provides information that helps you learn about judges, their ability to apply the law, how good their temperament is and their ability to be fair. Casting an informed vote holds our judges accountable. This year, 45% of judges on the ballot are new and have been on the bench for less than five years.
“The more information voters have, the better,” Folkman said. “It’s a good resource anybody who’s interested needs to check out the website.”
There are 50 judges on the ballot this year ranging across all the courts, including Matthew B. Durant, Bryan Galloway, Brandon J. Maynard, Ryan Tenney and Spencer Walsh. Visit judges.utah.gov for more information.
Leah Call is a senior. When she is not furiously studying the AP Stylebook, she enjoys listening to The Velvet Underground and reading the wise words of Patti Smith in her beloved blue hammock.
— leah.call@usu.edu
DESIGN BY Jack Burton
Meet the candidates in
*Candidate interviews are printed in the order they will appear on the ballot as determined by Utah Code.
What is your response to students who have voiced their concerns over House Bill 261, which went into effect in Utah on July 1, 2024?
The candidate did not respond to The Utah Statesman’s request for an interview.
With Utah being a country-wide leader with one of the highest popultion percentages enrolled in higher education, how would you go about representing the 240,000 students enrolled in one of Utah’s many higher education institutions?
The candidate did not respond to The Utah Statesman’s request for an interview.
In the House of Representatives, I strongly opposed the anti-DEI initiatives, which are nothing more than unnecessary, divisive political games. Rather than targeting marginalized communities and wasting time and resources on culture war battles, our leaders should be addressing the real issues that are facing Utahns of all backgrounds: housing affordability, increasing cost of living, public education, clean air and water, and more. We need policies that reflect the incredible diversity of our state and recognize the benefits to our quality of life that it brings. As governor, I’ll champion inclusivity and opportunity for all Utahns, regardless of background.
Color me impressed by some of the insightful views expressed by USU students about the Orwellian-titled “Equal Opportunity Initiatives” House Bill 261 co-sponsored by state representative Katy Hall (running unopposed this election) and state senator Keith Grover (also running unopposed this election). Because the two-party system is not a broken system, but a system that needs to be broken, Libertarians have also experienced exclusionary practices from government-run and -sponsored entities structured to protect and preserve patriarchal power and privilege. Ideally, most Libertarians prefer the separation of education and state, and the dispute over whether a taxpayer-supported institution of higher education should promote diversity, equity, and inclusion illustrates one reason why.
The candidate did not respond to The Utah Statesman’s request for an interview.
We are very fortunate to have so many quality higher education institutions in Utah. As governor, I would prioritize strengthening Utah’s higher education system by increasing access to affordable education, supporting workforce development programs, and ensuring that institutions are equipped to prepare students for the evolving job market.
In his book Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, author Brian Klaas notes how those with dark triad personality traits attain and retain positions of power at a disproportionate rate. Two corrective measures proposed by Klaas are democratic lotteries (also known as “sortition,” “policy juries,” or “democracy without elections”) and shadow governments (also known as “dual sovereignty” or “parallel government”). One person cannot truly “represent” the interests of anyone, perhaps not even oneself. Therefore, if the people of Utah put me to work as the next governor of the state of Utah, I propose using a mix of proportional ranked choice voting and sortition to populate an advisory council of Utah students...
the running for governor
Are you a Utah native? What’s your favorite aspect of living in Utah currently?
To read full responses, go to usustatesman.com.
The Utah Statesman sent out emails requesting interviews to all candidates. Those who responded did so through email.
If you had chosen a sport to have played in college, what would it have been? If you did play a college sport, please share why that one.
Party: Republican Campaign: votecox.com
As a fifth-generation Utahn, I was born in Salt Lake City into a family with deep pioneer roots. My favorite aspect of living in Utah is our amazing and abundant natural resources. From our mountains, to our valleys, to our red rock cliffs, our rivers, and our lakes, there is so much to love about Utah. We need to do everything we can to be responsible stewards of our environment so that our kids and grandkids can benefit from it just as much as we have.
Although I didn’t play a sport in college, if I could go back, I would choose to play baseball. After my first year of undergrad, I had the privilege of serving an LDS mission to St. Louis, which converted me into a Cardinals fan! I am excited and optimistic about the prospects of an MLB team coming to Utah, and can’t wait to change my allegiance!
Party: Independent American Party of Utah Campaign: tommywilliams4u.tripod. com/home.html
Born and raised in Utah, my favorite aspect of living here is working for the betterment of our unique community — which is in an amazing natural setting — by advancing the cause of liberty through the “Party of Free Agency.”
During college I enjoyed refereeing intramural flag football, and later refereeing club- and college-level women’s lacrosse. If provided the opportunity in college, I would have chosen to participate in collegiate esports because — given that the first officially recognized varsity esports program was established in 2014, and I graduated college in 1991 — time-travel is implied, which as Bill, Ted, and H.G. Wells can tell you is a far more interesting prospect than collegiate sport.
Party: Democratic Campaign: kingforutah.com
Party: Libertarian Campaign: jrobertlatham.pro
Party: Unaffiliated Campaign: tomtomeny.com
The battle over Utah’s constitution
By Isabella Erwin STATESMAN REPORTER
Two proposed amendments to the Utah Constitution Amendments A and D were recently voided by Utah’s Third District Court in Salt Lake City. They will still appear on ballots in November, but votes will not be counted.
Judge Dianna Gibson voided Amendment D on Sept. 12 based in part on the failure of the state legislature to publish the legislation in newspapers for two months prior to the election, a requirement outlined in the state’s constitution. The Utah Supreme Court upheld this ruling on Sept. 25.
Amendment A was struck down by Judge Laura Scott on Oct. 9, citing the supreme court’s earlier ruling as precedent. The proposed amendment would have removed the provision in the constitution requiring a portion of income tax revenue be used to fund public education.
Will Wright, director of USU’s Government Relations
Council and senior studying political science, agreed with the court’s decision on Amendment A.
“I think it’s a bad amendment that hurts education in Utah. I’m glad the supreme court was consistent in applying the logic it did with Amendment D to Amendment A,” Wright said.
Spending per student in Utah is consistently one of the lowest in the country. According to GRC director of lobbying and coordination Myla Millet, junior studying economics and finance, Amendment A “would have opened the door for funding meant for education to be used for overly politicized and less important issues.”
Amendment D, if passed, would have given the Utah State Legislature the power to repeal or alter the language of voter-approved ballot measures. It would have also given citizens 50% more time to gather signatures for referendums and prohibit “foreign influence” on the initiative process.
The summary of the amendment printed on ballots does not describe the legislature’s new powers. This change is represented in the summary as “clarifying the voters and legislative bodies’ ability to amend laws.”
This description was misleading and deceptive, according to the district court’s ruling.
The recent court decision is the culmination of years of action by the Utah State Legislature, local activists and the state’s courts.
In 2018, Utah Proposition 4 passed a statewide vote, creating an independent redistricting committee in charge of creating Utah’s congressional districts. In 2021, the legislature altered the bill, allowing lawmakers to choose whether to use the committee’s redistricting maps. They did not use any suggested.
In previous years, it would have been too close to the election for the legislature to add a proposed amendment to voter’s ballots. But S.B. 4002, which was signed into law this summer during a special legislative session on Aug. 21, extended this deadline. Amendment D was enrolled the same day.
“It used to be that a nonpartisan attorney in the state legislature would write the language for the ballot initiatives, so they were presented in a neutral, purely informational way,” Wright said.
Revisions outlined in S.B. 37, passed during the 2024 Utah Legislative Session, changed this, allowing legislative leadership to write the summaries that appeared on the ballot.
“That led to some skewed wording that I didn’t feel was completely accurate or offering enough information for voters to make an informed decision,” Wright said.
Wright thinks Utah students should be upset, calling Amendment D a “brazen attempt to take away from the voices of voters in the state of Utah.”
Millet supports the court’s decision on Amendment D.
“I’m actually pleasantly surprised,” she said.
Millet and Wright agree most students haven’t heard of Amendment D. Most who have, according to Millet, are disappointed by the state legislature.
“It’s been a pretty unified voice. Most people I’ve talked to who are educated on it would agree with where I’m leaning,” Millet said.
Wright also approved of the court’s decision on Amendment D.
“If the state legislature had the authority to override any ballot initiative that was passed by voters, what’s the point of having a ballot initiative?” he asked.
“I’d like to hope that it doesn’t come up again,” Millet said. “If anything, I feel like the threshold for ballot initiatives in Utah is actually quite high compared to other states.”
Given the Utah courts’ decisions that have upset the legislature over the last few weeks and months, according to Wright, he says he wouldn’t be surprised “if there were some sort of judicial reform or retaliation in the upcoming legislative session.”
If the supreme court hadn’t voided the amendment, Millet believes it would have passed.
“I think that people would have voted for it because they’d been misled by the way it was advertised,” she said. Wright and Millet said their opinions were reflective of their own beliefs and not that of the GRC.
Isabella is a sophomore studying journalism and political science. Be on the lookout for them riding a bike around campus for your own safety.
-Isabella.erwin@usu.edu
PHOTO BY Kelly Winter
How Gen Z votes
By Bailey Daniels STATESMAN REPORTER
As the United State’s 2024 presidential election draws near, many members of Generation Z are preparing to vote for the first time.
Former President Donald J. Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris are the two most popular candidates among Americans of all ages. Still, efforts are potentially being made to appeal to the younger generation.
This past summer, pop artist Charli XCX released her best-selling album “Brat.” The album pushed themes relating to self-expression and carefree partying, appealing to Gen Z in a world that seems often at odds with itself. The album’s cover featured a lime green background with black text, which was quickly seen in marketing across the United States.
On July 21, Charli XCX said in a post on the social platform X, “kamala IS brat.”
Harris’s marketing team seized the opportunity to associate the vice president with the album, presenting herself as a candidate that aligns with the culture Gen Z is creating. Soon after, Harris’s campaign team Kamala HQ changed their X banner to lime green, and countless edits were posted to social media featuring Harris and songs from the album.
“You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” Harris said on May 10, 2023 at a ceremony held in the White House. Citing something her mother used to tell her, the quote went viral this summer, prompting many edits and memes with the speech in the background. This further pushed Harris into social media circles populated with Gen Z users.
Candidates receiving endorsements from popular celebrities may appear substantial in helping them win. However, this may not be the case.
“It’s possible the endorsement from someone like Taylor Swift may convince a handful of people to vote for Kamala Harris, but it’s extremely unlikely that people are changing their vote in response to an endorsement,” wrote Joshua Ryan, a political science professor at USU in an email to The Utah Statesman.
“Having said that, this is an extremely close election, so even changing a few hundred or thousand votes in a few critical states may be important. Because it’s so close, pretty much everything on the margins matters.”
On Sept. 4, Trump posted a video on the app Truth Social, owned by the Trump Media & Technology Group. This is a text-based app similar to X, created by Trump after he felt Facebook and X unfairly treated him.
“For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump,” Trump said. “We’re not doing anything with TikTok. But the other side is going to close it up.”
According to Wallaroo Media, Gen Z currently comprises 60% of TikTok’s users, implying that they would be heavily impacted if the app were banned in
the U.S. In 2020, Trump called for a ban on TikTok due to concerns regarding the security of American users. This change in stance could potentially appeal to voters in the younger generation.
“I haven’t seen as many viral social media posts from the Trump campaign,” said Sydney Lyman, junior double-majoring in political science and journalism. “What I do know they’ve been doing, which is really interesting, is appealing to young, non-traditional voters through different media platforms and more traditional media, like podcasts.”
Podcasts in the United States have continued to grow in popularity due to their accessibility and the ability to listen to them while doing other things. Their rise in popularity has been aided by younger people, as many creators, such as Emma Chamberlain, who are well known with Gen Z audiences have started their own.
Theo Von, American comedian and podcaster who has seven million followers on TikTok, had Trump appear on his podcast on Aug. 17. During this meeting, Trump discussed plans for if he is elected president regarding issues like healthcare and border security. This appearance could have aided Trump in appearing to younger voters.
With hosts Jack and Nate, “The Little Jamm Show” is all about sharing what music means to the people! They bring you the best local music, tracks that inspire them and songs they hope will inspire you too. You can tune in every Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. on Aggie Radio 92.3!
Bailey Daniels is junior majoring in technology systems. She loves Lana Del Rey, sweet treats and all things whimsical.
The Tobogganist Hawktail
China Cat Sunflower Grateful Dead
Charmed Stella, Redinho
Lady and Man Khruangbin
12,000 Lines Big Thief
DESIGN BY Kaylee Robinson
An organized history of pivotal
By Aubrey Holdaway STATESMAN REPORTER
Democratic elections are a key aspect of the American identity and its evolving values. From the first transfer of power between parties to the divisiveness of COVID-19, elections offer more than policy shifts. They’ve become culturally significant, shaping the nation’s social fabric and defining struggles for inclusion, progress and justice.
12th Amendment and Peaceful Transfer of Power
The election of 1800 was held from Oct. 31-Dec. 3. Vice President Thomas Jefferson, the DemocraticRepublican candidate, defeated the incumbent federalist President John Adams in the first true test of America’s new democracy.
Jefferson’s victory was proof for Americans that a peaceful transfer of power between rival political parties was possible.
The most culturally significant aspect of the election was a tie between Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson in the Electoral College.
At the time, presidential and vice presidential nominees didn’t run together. Each member of the Electoral College cast one vote for president and one for vice president with no distinction made between the two.
According to the Library of Congress, “The extreme -
ly partisan and outright nasty campaign failed to provide a clear winner because of a constitutional quirk… Unfortunately, Jefferson and his vice-presidential running mate Aaron Burr both received the identical number of electoral votes, and the House of Representatives voted to break the tie.”
This constitutional crisis over the tied vote led to the passage of the 12th Amendment, which outlines the process for electing the president and vice president.
More than just a change in administration, this election set a precedent for how democracy could work: Power could change hands without violence.
Slavery and the Union
In the election of 1860, Republican Abraham Lincoln defeated Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas and Constitutional Union candidate John Bell in the presidential race.
Lincoln’s election to the presidency of a nation divided on slavery symbolized a fundamental shift in the country’s moral compass and precipitated the Civil War.
According to Michael Levy from Britannica, the Dred Scott decision of 1857, which made slavery legal in all U.S. territories, exacerbated sectional differences between those in the North who wanted to abolish slavery and those who sought to protect the institution.
“The results in the South are instructive in understanding the deep sectional divide. Lincoln did not win any votes in any state that would form the Confederacy… By the time of Lincoln’s inauguration in March, seven Southern states had seceded, and barely a month after Lincoln became president, the country became engaged in civil war,” Levy wrote.
The 1860 election is often cited as the first of three “critical” elections in the United States. After 1860, the Democratic and Republican took the top spots in a largely two-party system. Culturally, the election of 1860 was a turning point in the fight for racial justice, setting the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery.
The Women’s Vote
The election of 1920 saw Republican Warren G. Harding defeat Democrat James M. Cox. However, this election stands out not because of who was elected but because of who could vote.
After decades of struggle, the 19th Amendment was ratified that same year, granting women the right to vote. For the first time in U.S. history, women could participate in the political process on equal
footing with men.
An exhibit from University of California Berkeley’s library reads, “Political advertisements for both Harding and Cox appeared in pages of The Woman Citizen with specific appeal to issues of social welfare, which were thought to be ‘women’s issues.’”
Women from the National American Woman Suffrage Association formed the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan group that aimed to educate and inform women voters so they could exercise their right to vote responsibly.
The election represented the dawn of a new era of social inclusion and the recognition of women as equal citizens. Though women’s right to vote was recognized, cultural shifts toward gender equality would be an ongoing struggle, and 1920 marked just the beginning.
Media, Religion and Civil Rights
The 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was a pivotal moment in the intersection of media, politics and culture. It was the first
Richard Nixon at a rally in Ogden, Utah in September 1952. The photograph is signed
pivotal presidential elections
election to feature televised debates, and Kennedy would become the first Roman Catholic president. Anti-Catholic sentiment in the U.S. was a hurdle for Kennedy, and in September 1960, he told the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute; where no Catholic prelate would tell the President — should he be Catholic — how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote.”
The rising Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was another issue that dominated the election. American leaders warned that the nation was falling behind communist countries in science and technology.
According to a JFK Presidential Library article, Kennedy “declared that the United States would have the will and the strength to resist communism around the world.”
Civil rights emerged as another crucial issue. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested while participating in a protest in Atlanta, Georgia a few weeks before the
election. John F. Kennedy reached out to King’s wife Coretta Scott King to express his concern. Robert Kennedy called the judge and helped secure her husband’s safe release.
The JFK Presidential Library states, “The Kennedys’ personal intervention led to a public endorsement by Martin Luther King Sr., the influential father of the civil rights leader. The publicizing of this endorsement, combined with other campaign efforts, contributed to increased support among Black voters for Kennedy.”
This election greatly shifted the way politics and media interacted. Kennedy took advantage of televised debates, speaking directly to the cameras and the national audience and portraying a charming personality.
This election redefined how Americans would engage with politics in the media age, emphasizing personality and communication skills as much as policy.
Smear Campaigns and the First Black President
When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, it was much more than a political victory for the Democratic Party. It represented a monumental cultural milestone: the election of the first Black president in a nation where African Americans had endured centuries of slavery, segregation and systemic racism.
The rise of the 24/7 news cycle and social media were pivotal to the race between Obama and Republican John McCain as both campaigns tried to control the narrative. The election would begin the practice of smear campaigns, or plans to discredit a public figure by making false or dubious accusation — something prevalent in elections today.
According to a Britannica article, “McCain’s campaign tried to paint Obama as a naive, inexperienced political lightweight who would sit down with the leaders of anti-American regimes in Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela without preconditions, claimed that he was merely a celebrity with little substance” and labeled his ideas as socialist.
Obama’s campaign attempted to disparage McCain’s maverick persona and diminish his appeal to independent voters by linking him to George W. Bush, “whose popularity was among the lowest of any modern president.” The Obama campaign also pointed to McCain’s age and portrayed him as “erratic.”
Obama won the general election by a wide electoral margin and won a number of states that had been held by the Republicans in the past two elections. Obama’s election carried immense symbolic weight, and on election night, tens of thousands gathered in Chicago’s Grant Park to see him claim victory. It spoke to the progress made since the days of Jim Crow, even as it laid bare the work still to be done in addressing racial inequities.
2020 and Insurrection
The 2020 election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was significant not only because it took place during a global pandemic but also because it was a referendum on issues of racial justice, democracy and leadership in times of crisis.
In the summer of 2020, massive protests followed the murder of George Floyd, and widespread misinformation and unprecedented voter turnout defined the race.
According to Pew Research Center, 25% of voters in 2020 hadn’t voted in 2016, as “both Trump and Biden were able to bring new voters into the political process in 2020.” The 19% of 2020 voters who did not vote in 2016 split roughly evenly between the two candidates.
Mail-in ballots were widely used in the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. According to Drew DeSilver for Pew Research Center, roughly 67 million mail-in ballots were submitted, doubling the previous election’s 33.5 million.
For weeks after the networks had called the election for Biden, Trump refused to acknowledge the win and was the first losing candidate to never formally concede. Trump and other Republicans engaged in an aggressive attempt to overturn the election results, alleging voter fraud and corruption.
This led to the infamous insurrection at Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, when a group of Trump supporters stormed the joint session of the United States Congress where the Electoral College ballots were being certified.
Biden’s victory was seen by many Americans as a repudiation of the polarization and division that had grown during the Trump era. Kamala Harris’s election as the first woman, Black and South Asian vice president was another historic cultural marker in the ongoing quest for representation and equality in U.S. politics.
Elections as Cultural Mirrors
In each of these elections, Americans were reminded that the power of the ballot box is more than political. It’s cultural and reflects the nation’s values, exposes its wounds and charts the course for its future. In many ways, the history of American elections is the history of the American struggle for a “more perfect union.”
Aubrey Holdaway is a senior studying print journalism. She thinks democracy is pretty rad.
— a.holdaway@usu.edu
PHOTO COURTESY OF USU SPECIAL COLLECTIONS signed to Governor Lee.
Utah Attorney General
Derek Brown
Party: Republican Campaign Website: derekforutah.com
Party: Unaffiliated Campaign Website: austinhepworth.com
Rudy Bautista
Party: Libertarian Campaign Website: rudybautistalawyer.com
Party: United Utah Party Campaign Website: michelleforutah.com
Party: Libertarian Campaign Website: andrewmccullough.org W.
The Utah Statesman sent out emails requesting interviews to all candidates. The attorney general candidates did not respond.
State Senate District Two Nancy Huntly
Party: Republican chriswilsonutah.org
Chris Wilson
What would you say to the students who have been negatively impacted by the results of HB 261?
As a Legislature, we’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring fairness so all students can succeed. Even if well-intentioned, preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, religion, creed, or social class, can be problematic. Universities should weigh an individual’s personal experiences when considering merit and achievement. H.B. 261 aims to remove barriers and ensure fairness so all students can succeed, (including first-generation students, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds).
Furthermore, we have heard from numerous concerned students, administrators, and faculty across the state regarding how discussion in classrooms and on campuses has become narrow-minded, unproductive and divisive. The bill promotes free speech and open dialogue on college campuses, preventing discriminatory practices based on race, gender, and other identities, and ensures institutions don’t require applicants to submit political ideologies. Our educational institutions must return to political neutrality while debate, disagreement and knowledge exchange on campuses remain protected. How will you advocate for the students living in Senate District Two, especially in the midst of Logan’s housing crisis?
The current housing crisis is concerning and frustrating to say the least. My wife and I have watched our own adult children struggle to find affordable housing in Logan, both while they were attending USU and after graduation. But hope is on the horizon. Utah currently has more homes per capita being built than any other state in the country. This is due in large part to the recent legislation aimed at creating more affordable housing (see HB 572, SB 168, SB 208, and SB 268) . H.B. 572 established the Utah Homes Investment Program (UHIP), allocating $300 million from the state’s Transportation Fund for low-interest loans to developers building affordable housing. It also allows banks and credit unions to request deposits for up to 75% of a project’s cost and mandates affordable housing production. S.B. 168 created a statewide modular housing code to cut costs and expand the First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program, while establishing Home-Ownership Promotion Zones (HOPZs) to boost affordable housing. S.B. 208 raised affordable housing requirements in Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zones (HTRZ) from 10% to 12%, and S.B. 268 established First Time Home Investment Zones (FHIZ) to promote medium-density housing for first-time buyers, helping to lower housing costs statewide.
Many students will be first-time voters in these upcoming elections. What policies would you advise a first-time voter to look for?
I don’t know that I can, or should, advise first-time voters with a range of political ideologies and beliefs, as to what specific policies they should look for. What I think is more important is that young adults get involved in the political process by becoming informed and personally engaged. Ask questions, but follow-up and fact-check information you receive. I challenge you to discover for yourself what you believe is important, and why. Then find candidates that align with your personal values. If you had to choose a fictional character to represent State District Two, who would it be and why?
Jimmy Stewart plays the fictional character, Mr. Smith, in a 1939 movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” I highly recommend watching it! Mr. Smith, a small-town postmaster and the head of the Boy Rangers, is appointed by his state’s governor to replace a deceased U.S. Senator, and soon realizes that those in power are using him as a pawn to cover up their self-serving schemes. But Smith refuses to compromise his beliefs even in the face of immense pressure. Smith is able to connect with the people he represents and understand their struggles and concerns. This allows him to effectively advocate for their needs and interests. Mr. Smith would be an ideal representative for State District 2, as his character embodies essential leadership values of honesty, integrity, grit, persistence, empathy, and compassion.
Party: Democrat Campaign website: nancyhuntly.com
The Utah Statesman sent out emails requesting interviews to all candidates. Those who responded did so through email.
What would you say to the students who have been negatively impacted by the results of HB 261?
We are living in times of misinformation, disinformation, and convoluted language. This bill came into being with inflammatory and divisive political rhetoric, but the goals are, if I understand the bill, to meet all individuals where they are and provide opportunities for each to learn and grow. I think you can assume the bill was well-intentioned, but poorly informed. Words matter, but you don’t have to let others’ words define you or constrain your goals. You don’t have to go back. Chart your own course, take advantage of opportunities you find, and advocate for opportunities that you want but don’t find – you are likely to find plenty of people who support you and will work with you as you make the most of your time as a student. Find the helpers and help others. Open doors for and support those around you; be the change.
How will you advocate for the students living in Senate District Two, especially in the midst of Logan’s housing crisis?
I would advocate for funding public education, including higher education, for less State micromanagement of educational institutions, for accessible and affordable housing, and for opportunities for people of all abilities to learn, work, and contribute. I will ask students what their concerns are, discuss with them what might be good solutions, and represent their concerns in legislative and other civic discussions. Rental housing must be part of the affordable housing conversation. Better use of existing housing through maintenance, repurposing, and modifications such as ADUs and in-house apartments could rapidly improve the rental housing situation.
Many students will be first-time voters in these upcoming elections. What policies would you advise a first-time voter to look for?
I would advise any voter to consider more than one or a few specific policies. Rather, look at the records of all candidates (not only their campaign rhetoric) as indicators of the type of elected official they are likely to be. Look for evidence of engagement in their community and of all forms of service. Look for evidence that they listen to, learn from, and work for all. Look for evidence of qualification for office. Look for evidence of real communication about things that matter, not just catchy slogans. I think that the attempt to put forward a Constitutional Amendment that would remove the right of the people of Utah to use ballot initiatives to reform their government is rightfully viewed as a red flag for a tendency to seek lack of constraint by the core principle of balance of powers. Similarly, support of partisan gerrymandered voting districts suggests a lack of respect for the perspectives of all and a tendency to seek power without balance or constraint. I would expect affordable housing, childcare, mental health care, public education, a healthy environment (e.g., clean water, clear air), and respect for the basic rights of all to be among the concerns of students, but, again, I would seek input from students about their concerns.
If you had to choose a fictional character to represent State District Two, who would it be and why?
Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch, character in many Michael Connelly novels, for his guiding principle that “everybody matters or nobody matters”. A legislator with that core guiding principle would seek to understand and represent all in Senate District 2. That guiding principle seems especially needed at this moment in time.
State House District Three
Party: Unaffiliated Campaign website: belmont4utah.org
The Utah Statesman sent out emails requesting interviews to all candidates. Those who responded did so through email.
Patrick Belmont Jason Thompson
What would you say to the students who have been negatively impacted by the results of HB 261?
HB 261 harms our entire community and undermines the mission of our educational institutions throughout Utah. Some students are more severely impacted, including some of the most vulnerable students we serve. To those students I would say that I am deeply sorry that we failed to protect you in allowing this legislation to get through our broken political system here in Utah and I will work every day to reverse this law. HB 261 was intended to be divisive and punitive and represents one of several egregious over-reaches of our state legislators into the operations of our public education system. Such bills demonstrate what happens when the vast majority of our legislators are from a single party and bills do not receive proper debate and scrutiny.
How will you advocate for the students living in State House District Three, especially in the midst of Logan’s housing crisis specifically?
Rent and entry level housing costs are out of control because the legislature has failed to put common sense solutions into place. Three in ten Utahns are either homeless or are paying 50+% of their monthly income for housing. Utah is also one of the states that is most skewed in terms of landlords having power over tenants. For example, landlords can force evictions in as few as 3 days if someone is unable to pay rent. This is one of the factors contributing to the fact that chronic homelessness in Utah went up 97% from 2019 to 2023. It doesn’t have to be this way. As your representative, I will fight for stronger rights for tenants. I will also work to make better use of our existing housing inventory, reinvest in our existing neighborhoods rather than incentivizing low density sprawl of single family homes, and incentivize building of new affordable housing for renters and first-time home buyers.
Many students will be first-time voters in these upcoming elections. What policies would you advise a first-time voter to look for?
Look for people who you think will represent the issues you think are most important. As a water and climate scientist, energy expert, and university educator, I am in a very rare position to bring perspective and expertise in all three of these critical areas. Utah’s future depends on getting these issues right, yet our Legislature has very few representatives with expertise in any of them. And poor decision-making in the legislature affects us all. Also pay attention to all the damage that has been done by having a supermajority of our legislators all from the same party. Our capitol has turned into an echochamber with only a few voices dominating the discussions. We need a broader range of voices to ensure we make smarter choices moving forward.
What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid or adult? Haha, great question! When I was 5 I dressed up as the ‘Great American Hero’, which was from a TV show about a teacher who was gifted superhuman powers that he had no idea how to use...so every episode was a hilarious series of whimsical, lucky, and unpredictable events that led to him saving the world day after day. I am laughing now as I’m reflecting, really only because you asked this question, on how well aligned that feels with my everyday life today! ;)
Party: Republican Campaign website: electjasonthompson.com
The candidate did not respond to The Utah Statesman’s request for an interview.
Utah Senate candidates
Party: Independent American Party of Utah Campaign website: carlton4ussenate.com
The Utah Statesman sent out emails requesting interviews to all candidates. Those who responded did so through email.
The state of Utah leads the nation with one of the largest percentages of enrollment in higher education. How do you plan to represent the 240,000 students enrolled in higher education in Utah?
I am the only pro-TRUMP US Senate candidate. I am on your ballot. I am running on a platform of traditional values, traditional money, and our tradition of freedom. Traditonal values means boys are boys and girls are girls. In other words, there are only 2 genders: male and female. Marriage is between a man and a women. Families matter, a lot, and ideally have a Mom and a Dad, married, trying and true. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal, don’t kill. Honesty and Integrity still matter.
Our U.S. Constitution is non-partisan and seeks to protect the rights and freedoms of all U.S. citizens. I will strive to honor my oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution thereby serving and representing all citizens, including college students. My U.S. Senate office will be open to all Utahans to listen to concerns and to act responsibly.
What is one policy or approach from current state senators Lee and Romney that you disagree with? Why do you disagree and what do you plan to do differently? I felt like Mitt Romney was doing a poor job representing the State of Utah as our Senator. When running for U.S. Senate, Romney had said he was a Utah conservative at heart, but once elected, he voted in the U.S. Senate like a Massachusetts liberal! He sided with Democrats on their key legislative priorities, often undermining his own Republican Party. Out of the entire US House & Senate, Romney was the only Republican to vote to impeach President Trump in 2020. The GOP nominee this year, a former Democrat, is a lot like Romney in that he also doesn’t support Trump. We don’t want a Romney 2.0. We can do better. We must do better! I am pro-Trump rather than against him. I am for the U.S. Constitution. I am for Traditional Values, Traditional Money, and our Tradition of Freedom! Vote Independent American Carlton Bowen for U.S. Senate!
I’m disappointed Senator Lee supported Cox due to his promotion of the trans agenda. I don’t support Cox. Definitly Write in Phil Lyman for Governor!
To read Carlton Bowen’s full responses, go to usustatesman.com
Party: Republican Campaign website: johncurtis.org
The candidate did not respond to The Utah Statesman’s request for an interview.
Carlton Bowen John Curtis Caroline Gleich
Party: Democrat Campaign website: carolineforutah.com
The state of Utah leads the nation with one of the largest percentages of enrollment in higher education. How do you plan to represent the 240,000 students enrolled in higher education in Utah?
There’s a real crisis with higher education in this country, and we need to ensure that everyone who wants to pursue higher education—whether it’s trade school, university, or medical school—has that opportunity. Right now, predatory lending practices are exploiting the most vulnerable people who are simply trying to make a better life for themselves. We need to reform the banking practices that trap students in debt, and when it comes to student loan forgiveness, we can do more and do it better.
It used to be that you could graduate, get a degree, and be on a path to buying a house and building wealth. But today, my generation and Gen Z are struggling under the weight of exorbitant student debt, often due to predatory lending that keeps them in a financial hole for most of their adult lives.
I absolutely support student loan forgiveness, as well as efforts to reduce the overall costs of higher education and make apprenticeships and trade schools more affordable. These opportunities should be accessible to every American who wants them. This is essential to having a well-trained, educated workforce and building a thriving, vibrant economy for the future.
What is one policy or approach from current state senators Lee and Romney that you disagree with? Why do you disagree and what do you plan to do differently? One policy approach I disagree with is their interpretation of the second amendment and gun owner rights. I believe we can enact common sense gun reform, like universal background checks, safe storage, assault-style weapons bans, and other reforms to make Utahns safer while protecting our founding fathers’ vision of the second amendment.
What is your stance on President Biden’s Student Debt Relief Program?
I support President Biden’s student debt relief program and would work to expand his program while countering the forces that are driving up the cost of higher education to begin with.
What is your favorite thing about the state of Utah? Our public lands, they are our national treasures and we deserve a US Senator who will protect them.
What motivates you to vote?
Jackson Loamax is a sophomore studying wildlife ecology and management. When asked what motivates him to vote or not he said, “I feel like it is important that I am heard and have a right to vote and decide the future of our country.”
Brayden Bowen is a finance major in his senior year at USU. He said, “What motivates me to vote is my love for the United States of America, and I really think that it’s important that we do our duty as citizens to make sure that our country is in good hands and that we’re well taken care of.”
First year student Anna Davis is from American Fork, Utah studying vocal performance at USU. When asked what motivates her to vote she said, “I think that seeing issues that I care about and wanting just to make a difference however small.”
From West Jordan, Utah, Ben Hickenlooper is a junior studying data analytics at USU. He said, “I am voting because I think it is important. A lot of people say that their vote doesn’t really count, but if everyone said that, then your vote actually doesn’t count. If everyone has the philosphy, then it actually doesn’t count, so thats not a good philosphy to have. I also think it’s important to kind of know what’s going on in your world and getting in touch with politics and the politics of your country, especially in a place like America where we have such a big influence on the world. It is a good kind of starter to realize what’s going on in the world, what the world really is, and politics is a big part of how the world operates nowadays, so it’s good to get involved. And it’s kind of cool we can have a say in a way to influence politics. So that is why I am voting.”
PHOTO BY Claire Ott
PHOTO BY Dane Johnson
PHOTO BY Kelly Winter
PHOTO BY Aubrey Holdaway
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