election

The Athletic Complex once again will serve as the on-campus polling location at Washington University. Students who live on the South 40 and in the Village may vote at the Athletic Complex between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 3. And, for the first time, so may any students, faculty and staff who are approved to be on campus and live in St. Louis County.

As the November presidential election approaches, an expert at Washington University in St. Louis says to expect a bit of emotional angst, no matter who wins or loses.

The “No More ‘Too Big to Fail’” rallying cry is unrealistic, says Cheryl Block, JD, federal taxation, budget and bailout expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “When the next really big economic crisis arises, Congress is unlikely to stick to its ‘no bailout’ pledge,” she says.

With the ballot nearly set for the November election, Mitt Romney looks to become the first Mormon to secure a presidential nomination for a major party. His membership in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints assures that religion — and the separation of church and state — will play a significant role in this presidential election, says Gregory P. Magarian, JD, free speech and election law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “In general, I think it’s appropriate to consider a candidate’s religion as a part of their persona, but the candidate should get a lot of leeway in setting the terms of their religion’s role in political debate,” he says.

Investors are highly interested in information regarding corporate political spending, says Hillary Sale, JD, securities and corporate governance expert and the Walter D. Coles Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis. “The SEC should address the need for transparency in political spending to better inform shareholders and allow them to protect themselves from hidden political agendas in corporate campaign spending,” she says. 

With the November election quickly approaching, many people want to know more about the key issues facing the candidates. If that’s you, then you need to educate yourself! “Educate Yourself: 2004,” sponsored by Student Union, will comprise a series of weekly forums aimed at helping the University community, and the public, fully understand all sides of some of the larger issues in the upcoming election.

The aim is to help the University community fully understand all sides of some of the key political issues.

Two of the nation’s most recognized political commentators, Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, will discuss prospects for the 2004 presidential election in a public forum from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 4 in the Laboratory Sciences Building. The discussion, which is free and open to the public, takes place on Election Day — exactly one year before the 2004 presidential elections.