Up and Down Those Polls

First and foremost, welcome back to another lovely semester at UIC! Fall is in the air. The leaves are beginning to crisp, sweater weather is now acceptable, and elections are in about 4 weeks. It is time to take a stand! As young college scholars, future City of Chicago employees, and (of course) tax payers our voices count. Should we focus on revenue or improving schools? Is the job market more important than the death penalty? It depends on us! Persons of age can and should cast the vote in the 2014 elections. Why you may ask? If you want to see change, you need to be that change.

Many UIC students are interested in local politics, from the cafeteria food to who preforms at Spark in the Park. If we, as students can decided what type of music we want to “groove to, then we should also decide what type of governor, treasurer, and other state officials we want. Literally, our daily lives depend on it.

In November, most of the focus will be on the race for Illinois governor between Bruce Rauner and Pat Quinn. Quinn is our current democratic governor, while Rauner is a feasible Republican candidate for the seat. Like most juxtaposed politicians, both have hilarious ads on TV that will make you wonder what is more important. In short, our current governor Quinn believes in hiring women and immigrants, same-sex marriage, and taxing the wealthy. Rauner’s campaign is focused on education and increasing jobs in within the state of Illinois. Who has your vote and Why?

The general election date is November 4, 2014. Make sure you are an informed voter who marches all the way to the polls. Not registered to vote? Stand in SCE for two minutes and a local volunteer can sign you up. We can make a change with one check mark on a piece of paper.