Category: Mason Votes

Everything You Need to Know about Voting in Virginia

Virginia’s GOP primary is fast approaching. On March 6, also known as Super Tuesday, Virginia will vote alongside several other states to help determine who will receive the 2012 Republican nomination for president. Here are a few things you need to know to be ready for the primary and the presidential election in November.

First, some background information about Virginia voting laws and how elections work in the state is important. Voting and elections in the Commonwealth of Virginia are run by the State Board of Elections, which oversees voter registration, implementation of election procedures, etc. for local, state and national elections.

Especially for college students, it is also important to know how to register to vote in Virginia. Voter eligibility requirements are as follows:

Be a resident in Virginia
Be a U.S. citizen
Be 18 years of age by the time of the next general election (those who are 17 but will be 18 by the time of the general election are permitted to register early and to vote in any primaries or other elections prior to the general election)
Not be registered and plan to vote in another state
Not be currently declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
If convicted of a felony, you must have your right to vote restored

Registration applications may be found at any number of locations, including a local voter registration office, online, DMV offices, public libraries and the State Board of Elections office. The completed application should be filed with your local registration office or mailed to the address printed on the form. The registration deadline for both primaries and general elections is 22 days before the election is held.

College students must establish residency in Virginia in order to vote in this state’s elections. According to the Virginia State Board of Elections website, residency is established by a physical location the voter intends to stay at for an unlimited amount of time. Students are allowed to use their dorm or college address for this.

Any students who wish to register to vote in Virginia but are already registered in another state or district must cancel their other registrations first. Students attending a school in a different location from where they are registered may vote using an absentee ballot (see more information below).

Voter ID Requirements and Other Information about Going to Vote

In order to vote, all voters must bring identification to the polls. People who registered to vote by mail and are voting for the first time in a federal election are subject to special requirements:

A current and valid photo ID (e.g. driver’s license)
OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows name and address
OR another government document that shows name and address (e.g. voter card)

All other voters must present any of the following forms of ID:

Virginia voter ID card
A valid Virginia driver’s license
Military ID
Any federal, Virginia state or local government-issued ID
Employer-issued photo ID card
Social security card
Anything else as specified in this table

In Virginia, polls are open from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on the day of the election.

How to Vote with an Absentee Ballot

Anyone who will not be present at his or her registered voting location at the time the polls are open can apply to vote using an absentee ballot. In order to apply for an absentee ballot, you must either complete an online application or get an application from your local Voter Registration Office.

The application must be received by the Voter Registration Office by 5:00 PM EST on the Tuesday prior to the day you choose to vote. In-person absentee voting lasts from at least 45 days before the established election day and generally ends the Saturday before the election. A new, completed application must be sent in for every election you intend to vote absentee.

Now that you have the right information, you can register to vote and be prepared to vote in either the upcoming GOP primary or in the November presidential general election. Remember every vote counts.

For additional and more detailed information about registration and voting in Virginia, you can visit these websites:

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.html

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/

Students for Ron Paul Spread Libertarian Message

Junior Olivia Valentine, secretary for Patriots for Ron Paul, was tired as she headed to a CPAC conference last year. Despite her exhaustion from getting up early, she was motivated because she was going to meet the man that she had researched and read about since summer. She was going to meet Ron Paul.

After her experience at the CPAC meeting, Valentine furthered her involvement in Ron Paul’s campaign, and eventually joined Patriots for Ron Paul, a student group on campus dedicated to helping Ron Paul’s campaign in the 2012 presidential election.

Patriots for Ron Paul had their first official meeting Wednesday in Sandbridge. The meeting was not a discussion of tactics or strategies to help Paul’s campaign; it was organizational in nature and the group decided on officers including president and vice president.

Patriots for Ron Paul has not been recognized as an official group on campus yet. Instead of waiting for official certification — which will be forthcoming — to begin conducting business, the members have gone ahead with meetings.

The meeting drew many different people who are attracted to Paul for different reasons.

“I guess I came to him through my experience here as an economics major,” said junior Joseph Taylor, president of Patriots for Ron Paul. “I support him mainly because of his message of freedom [and his] respect for individual rights and the Constitution.”

“We got what we needed,” Valentine said. “We went over the Constitution, which was required.”

One of the group’s goals is to get Ron Paul to speak at George Mason University.

“Our main goal right now is to bring Ron Paul to campus,” Valentine said. “We have a petition going around to gather signatures for people to say that they support him coming here to give a speech.”

Valentine added that with Super Tuesday coming up on March 6, Mason is in the running for Paul to give a speech, given the university’s involvement with Austrian economics and its convenient location only four miles away from one of Paul’s headquarters.

In addition to getting Paul on campus, Patriots for Ron Paul also has another goal. “Our broader goal is just to spread the message of limited government, free markets and civil liberties.”

Patriots for Ron Paul has different events in mind, which include fundraisers and lectures by professors on key topics. The group openly invites students to come to one of their meetings.

“[They should come] to learn,” Valentine said. “I don’t think people really understand Ron Paul. They just write him off as a cranky old grandpa. I don’t think people understand the power behind Ron Paul.”

This article was originally published in the 2/20/2012 issue of Broadside, George Mason University’s student newspaper. It is by Justin Lalputan, news editor.

The State of Virginia’s 2012 GOP Primary

For Virginia, Super Tuesday may not be so super after all. Due to a law in the state’s constitution requiring presidential candidates to gather 10,000 signatures of registered Virginia voters in order to be put on the ballot, the majority of the Republican candidates running for president in 2012 will not appear on voter’s ballots in the March 6 primary.

Only former Massachusetts governor, and current frontrunner, Mitt Romney and Texas Rep Ron Paul gathered the requisite amount of signatures by the set deadline and were thus deemed eligible.

On December 27 of 2011, Rick Perry, accompanied by fellow candidates Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman, filed a lawsuit arguing that this eligibility requirement is unconstitutional and requested that his name be added to the ballot.

However, on January 13, U.S. District Judge John Gibney ruled against Perry and co., saying that, regardless of the constitutional validity of the requirement, they took too long to make any challenges to the rule, given that officials need a sufficient amount of time to print the ballots so that they may be distributed to overseas and absentee voters on time.

Rick Perry and Gingrich both filed an appeal the following day, but their bid seems futile as the court also refused to stall the printing process while waiting for an official court decision. Though the case was still pending, Gingrich subsequently dropped his suit.

So, how will this affect the primary and the overall race? Though Perry has dropped out of the presidential race completely, many, including Judge Gibney himself, agree that this eligibility requirement disenfranchises voters and is unconstitutional.

The biggest winner in this scenario might be Ron Paul, who could potentially give his campaign a boost if he manages to coalesce the anti-Romney vote that would otherwise have been split between several candidates. However, recent polls suggest that Romney has an overwhelming lead among Republican voters. More importantly, Obama has the edge over both primary candidates, though he is ahead of Romney by only a slim margin.

This divisiveness is setting up Virginia as a key battleground state not only for the upcoming GOP primary, but for the general election as well.

RESULTS!

Get to Know Congressman, Mason Professor Jim Moran

From Broadside
By Emily Sharrer

Before he had considered politics, Jim Moran, the incumbent in the 8th Congressional District election, had his heart set on being a professional football player. As the son of professional football player James Moran, Sr., who played for the Boston Redskins in the 1930s, Moran had football in his blood. But unsure he had the discipline to play professional ball, Moran set his sights on politics, mostly he says because he “cared so much about the issues involved.”

But before Moran could jump start his political career, he had one setback to overcome: his absolute fear of public speaking.

“When I was afraid I was going to get called on, I would turn bright red,” said Moran, “I’d start perspiring and it went right through my shoes and the palms of my hands. It was so embarrassing.”

Moran can recall with clarity the first time he gave a campaign speech to an audience, which included his two young children.

“I’ll never forget my son putting his head between his legs and my daughter putting her hands on her ears, wishing this wasn’t happening to their father,” said Moran, “and then I fainted on stage.”

After a couple more fainting incidents, Moran overcame his fear, with “the knowledge that nothing could be worse than it already had been,” he says.

Moran has come a long way since his early struggles with public speaking. Moran is currently co-teaching a class at George Mason University with former 11th district House of Representatives member Tom Davis and has represented Virginia’s 8th Congressional District since 1991.

After Moran and Davis’ spring 2010 course entitled “Political Parties and Campaigns” got rave reviews from students, the pair was asked back to teach it again this semester. Although this semester Moran’s campaigning has kept him out of class some Mondays, he is there as often as possible.

According to Andrew Decelle, one of Moran’s students, Davis and Moran provide good insight on issues covered in class because of their political backgrounds.

“He’s very knowledgeable,” said Decelle of Moran. “He’s very good in that he will not just give you a bias of his party, but more of a centrist view.”

As for representing Virginia’s 8th District, Moran says that even after 20 years, he never gets bored.

“I represent the best congressional district in the entire country,” said Moran. “We have an unemployment rate that is half the national average, we have a more inclusive, embracing society, we have a community of interest where people help each other and are on the cutting edge of new technology and innovation. As long as I love it so much, I intend to continue running for office every two years.”

The Low-Down on Mason’s Congressional District Races

From Broadside
By Gregory Connolly

Tuesday is the U.S. midterm election, which will bring to an end the deluge of roadside signs and campaign commercials.

Five candidates are running for the U.S. Congress seat for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, encompassing most of Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax and part of Prince William County.

In 2008, Democrat Gerry Connolly defeated Republican opponent Keith Fimian in an election to fill the seat vacated by longtime Virginia Congressman Tom Davis (R-11th). Fimian is running against Connolly again in the 2010 election.

Connolly currently serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Budget Committee.

Fimian is chairman and founder of U.S. Inspect, LLC, a company that conducts residential, commercial and relocation property inspections throughout the U.S.

He is the president of the Youth Leadership Foundation, a District of Columbia group that helps inner-city youth with academics and character development.

Other candidates in the 11th Congressional District race include David William Gillis Jr., Christopher F. DeCarlo and David L. Dotson.

Gillis is a member of the Independent Greens of Virginia. The party calls for balanced budgets at the local, state and federal levels and paying off the federal debt.

Dotson is a libertarian who works for a small research firm in McLean. He has been a Libertarian for over 30 years, according to his campaign’s website.

DeCarlo is an Independent candidate, who has taken classes at George Mason University, and is the president of DeCarlo Enterprises Inc., a company that sells propane and other goods in Fairfax County.

In the 10th Congressional District, which includes much of the northern part of the state from McLean to Front Royal, incumbent Republican Frank R. Wolf is running against Democrat Jeff Barnett and Libertarian William Redpath.

Wolf is the longest-tenured Virginia congressman, having served since 1981. He is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and is the co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

Barnett, an author and former Air Force pilot, has worked in government consulting in McLean and wants to focus on job creation among other issues, according to his website.

Redpath is a Libertarian who calls for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan in addition to reforming the U.S. tax code, according to his website.

In the 8th Congressional District, which includes Arlington County, Alexandria and Falls Church, incumbent Democrat Jim Moran is up against Republican Patrick Murray and Independent Green member Ron Fisher.

Moran, the former mayor of Alexandria, has represented the 8th Congressional District since 1991. He is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.

Murray, a retired U.S. Army colonel, lives in Alexandria and wants to focus on economic recovery and debt reduction, according to his website.

Fisher, a retired Navy captain, has lived in Virginia for 34 years and has done consulting work for the Department of Defense. He is the president of Veterans Sales and Services Corporation, a small business that resells emergency equipment.

Meet David Dotson Libertarian 11th District Congressional Candidate

Q: Why should Mason students vote for you?
A: If you vote for Keith Fimian or Gerry Connolly you are wasting your vote, for two reasons. (1) It seems pretty clear at this point that the Republicans will take control of the House, and possibly (though not likely) the Senate, which means that nothing will change, and in two years they will be blaming each other for why the economy hasn’t improved. Or, more likely, why it is in even worse shape. (2) Voting for the Democrats or Republicans is basically voting to continue our pursuit of global empire, with endless wars in the Middle East and skyrocketing debt at home. And it’s voting to allow the Federal Reserve, a private cartel of bankers, to maintain its
control over the U.S. monetary system, and over our economy. The Fed is poised to begin another round of quantitative easing – AKA creating money/credit out of thin air – which debases the value of the dollar, and which, combined with our debt, will eventually lead to hyperinflation and/or defaulting on our debts. The American century of empire is approaching its end, and we need to prepare for the fall that is coming. With the exception
of Ron Paul, there appears to be no one in Congress, or the executive branch, that has a clear understanding of what is going to happen.

Q: What will you do to help your college-aged constituents?
A: The most important thing is to stop the wars and bring the troops home, which will make us all safer because it will reduce the threat of terrorism – even Department of Defense studies show that terrorist acts are a response to our bombing and killing, invading and occupying the Muslim nations of the Middle East. The second most important thing to do is to eliminate the Fed, to prevent Bernanke and his boys from creating more and more debt that college students, and their children, and their children’s children, will have to pay. The longer we try to prop up the economy with fiat money and borrowing and government spending, the harder it will be on all of us when the crash comes. It’s going to be hard, but the best thing for all of us is to let the recession/depression happen, so the economy can begin to recover. I would also work to get the government out of education – whenever the government gets involved in something to make it better, or less expensive,
the cost invariably goes up, and the quality generally goes down.

Q: What issues do you think are most important to college students?
A: I would think that, along with the wars that threaten our peace, help to bankrupt our nation, and result in the government taking away our freedoms one after another, that the most important issue to college students is probably the lack of jobs. After spending 4 or more years studying and taking on thousands of dollars in debts, how are they going to live, and pay back what they owe, if the economy is in the tank and they can’t find a decent job. Unfortunately, the policies that the federal government continues to follow will not restore our economy to health, nor allow businesses to create the jobs that students (and all of us) will need.

Q: What local projects are you most concerned with and what will you do to ensure their success? (Ex. Public transportation, civic programs etc.)
A: I don’t think the federal government should be involved in local projects. For example, transportation is a big issue in northern Virginia. But it’s a problem that should be handled by the state, county and city governments. When a Congressman/woman earmarks federal funds to spend on local problems, that just means they are taking money away from people elsewhere in the country to solve problems that those people had no part in creating, and whose solution will give them no benefits. And as northern Virginia is already one of the richest areas in the country, and we already get a lot of money because of all of the federal jobs and federally-related private jobs that are located here, it’s even less fair when we take money from poorer areas to solve our problems. We should reduce federal spending, and taxes, so that localities have more money to deal with their own problems.

Q: What will you do to help repair the economy?
A: First, I would work to stop our endless foreign wars. We currently spend nearly $1 trillion per year on all aspects of our Department of Defense budget, and if we stop spending so much on foreign wars and interventions, the government doesn’t have to borrow so much, or inflate the currency – and that will help the economy. Second, I would work to repeal recent legislation – such as the Health Care reform – that put extra burdens on businesses, and create a level of uncertainty that makes them unwilling to borrow money or hire new people. Third, I would put an end to the Fed’s ability to create as much money and credit as it wants, which it then gives to whatever favored group it chooses to give it to, such as banks (American and foreign) and the housing industry, which distorts the economy, and creates boom and bust cycles because of the misallocation of capital. I would also work to repeal the recent financial reform legislation, which gave the Fed ever more power over the economy. Fourth, I would let the recession come – and not prop up the banks, or the car companies, or whoever
has shown that they can’t survive without the government’s help – so that we can start anew, and let capital flow where it will, and let the economy rebuild.

Q: Afghanistan and Iraq — what are your plans?
A: I would get our troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq as quickly as possible. The longer we stay, the more American soldiers are killed and wounded, and the more Iraqis and Afghanis are killed and maimed. The recent release by Wikileaks of the Iraq War Logs show that we have killed tens of thousands more civilians than the military had acknowledged, and that our soldiers had stood by and allowed torture and murder to happen, as well as sometimes being involved in torture, and murder, as was shown on Wikileaks release of “Collateral Murder.” I support the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), and their call to bring the troops home, and pay reparations to Iraq and Afghanistan to help them recover from the destruction and devastation that we have produced in their countries.

Q: Why are you qualified to represent the 11th District?
A: With rare exceptions, there is no one serving in Congress who appears to have a grasp of the problems we truly face, and what needs to be done. Both the Republicans and Democrats will keep on borrowing and spending until we are bankrupt, and they will keep funding and expanding our wars until the empire collapses. We have hard times coming, and we need people in Congress who can help us prepare for them as best as we can. If we continue to elect politicians who either ignore the real problems, or are ignorant of them, things will just continue to get worse. I am qualified to represent the 11th District because I understand that we must prepare for the fall of our empire, and work to restore the Constitution, reclaim the liberties we are losing, and renew and recreate the American Republic that was once, and can be yet again – because of its dedication to freedom and individual rights – the greatest nation on earth.

Meet Christopher DeCarlo Independent 11th District Congressional Candidate

Q: Why should Mason students vote for you?
A: I am not for sale and I have the skills, experience and desire to listen to the voters and properly represent their interests to the Congress.

Q: What will you do to help your college-aged constituents?
A: Promote a more level playing field by reducing the collusion between government and big business. The collusion with the influence of campaign contributions has corrupted our system of citizen government. This is our number one problem. The only solution is to elect incorruptible representatives so our government can work constructively to solve our problems and regain our trust.

Q: What issues do you think are most important to college students?
A: Employment opportunities.

Q: What local projects are you most concerned with? (Ex. Public transportation, civic programs etc.)
A: American needs to get back to its roots of citizen representation as well as innovation, creativity, small business development, entrepreneurial spirit and encouraging people to take responsibility for themselves. We need opportunities and incentives for people to grow, develop, and improve. These components have made America great but now our success is threatened by entitlement programs, suffocating regulations, high taxes, increasing risk and perpetual political patronage and protection.

Q: What will you do to ensure the success of these projects?
A: Promote simple common sense laws and rules.

Q: What will you do to help repair the economy?
A: Fight against complex regulations that are subject to different interpretations. The complex regulations are causing us to lose time, investment opportunities, industries and jobs while other countries are using our technology against us. America needs to reverse its bureaucratic trend and work strategically to make efficient use of our resources and capacity.

Q: Afghanistan and Iraq — what are your plans?
A: Withdraw.

Q: Why are you qualified to represent the 11th District?
A: I have the skills, knowledge, intelligence, insight and ability to represent constituents’ concerns to the Congress, and like other small business owners I know how to improvise, adapt and overcome. It is something I have been doing everyday for the last 30 years.

Mason Students Rally for Sanity, or Fear

Photo by Jordan J. Frasier

From Connect2Mason
By Jordan J. Frasier

The country faces a difficult time, made even more difficult by the 24-hour news cycle, comedian Jon Stewart told a crowd of thousands at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear on the National Mall Saturday.

The event, held in the shadow of the U.S. Capital Building, combined comedy from Stewart and his Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert, along with music from Sheryl Crow, John Legend, The Roots and others.

But Stewart ended the rally with a serious note about the state of sanity.

“If we amplify everything, we hear nothing,” Stewart said of the hype media adds to news. Stewart also said the press does not accurately reflect reality of everyday American life.

Hundreds of Mason students joined the crowd gathered on the mall after boarding buses on campus that transported students to the Vienna/Fairfax Metro station for a ride to the rally. The buses were sponsored by the Office of Housing and Residence Life and included a Metro day-pass for students in addition to the bus ride.

“It’s a good way to get students involved,” freshman Alex Dodson said. “I appreciate the buses.”

READ MORE HERE

Vote Vans to Take Students to Polls

Vote Vans, an initiative started by Zach Golden and Claire Forman in 2007, is coming back again this year to help students make voting easier. It will be shuttling students from Mason to W.T Woodson High School where they will be able to vote.

Vote Vans will have a tent set up in the grassy area between Enterprise Hall and Science and Tech II and also at the Sandy Creek Circle to educate students about the voting process as well as this year’s candidates running for office.

“Our main goal is to transport students who don’t have cars but are passionate about voting,” says Melissa Jackson, organizer for Vote Vans.

Vote Vans will also be handing out electronic surveys via iPod touches to students in hopes to raise awareness about higher education issues and budget cuts. This information will then be used to go to Richmond on Lobbying Day to lobby on the student’s behalf.

Come out and show your support and vote for your favorite candidate!

By Aisha Jamil