Paws

By Emily Steele/Managing Editor

One of the proudest memories I have of my time at Eastern is waiting in line at the Martin Luther King Jr. Union to vote in the 2008 presidential elections.

Now the topic of being registered to vote and voting in general, is a widely discussed issue, but in a college town registering to vote has a whole different side.

Where do you register?

Do you register to vote in your home district or the one at school?

My perspective is: vote where you live, even if that is only for four or for some, five years.

Voting in Coles County gives students the opportunity to have their voices heard for the school they attend.

Since my time at Eastern students have lobbied the state for funding for the new energy center and general funding after state budget cuts last spring.

Those students had an invested interest in the future of Eastern and by default, the future of the community and county Eastern resides in.

As students, I believe we must make an effort to be knowledgeable about politics and government affairs at the very least, because if not now, when?

In Illinois voter registration is available until one month before the election on Nov. 2. Registering is a simple process and if you are interested contact the Cole County Clerk and Recorder Sue Rennels.

Claws

By Dave S. Balsen/Staff Reporter

For the vast majority of Eastern students, your vote will have a greater impact back home.

The midterm ballot basically consists of three types of candidates: those running for statewide office, those running for U.S. House of Representatives and those running for local office.

Statewide candidates will be the same no matter where in Illinois you are registered

Your vote on whom to send to the House will probably have greater influence at home.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Timothy Johnson is almost certain to win reelection in Illinois’s 15th congressional district, which includes Charleston. However, races in the four districts surrounding the Chicagoland area are much too close to call, according to the New York Times.

These elections are extremely important because the House is up for grabs this year.

The fate of the Obama administration’s legislative victories and aspirations may depend upon which party has a majority in the House after the election.

In local elections, your town needs your input. Take your vote on school board members, for example. You are no longer a student of your local high school, you are a product of it. Who knows better than you what local government can and should be doing to help encourage the success of those who follow in your footsteps? Likewise, the people of Charleston probably know their school board better than you do.

Most importantly: Make sure you are registered to vote, whether at school or at home, by the Oct. 5 deadline. And please, go vote on Nov. 2.

Photo Illustration by Alesha Bailey

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