Politics

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NEWS 3/3/24 2:28pm

Elon Votes works to increase voter turnout at Elon University for upcoming election

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon Votes is encouraging students to vote this year by offering various resources and programming, including a discussion with students and community members on if they think their vote matters. The primaries in North Carolina primaries are approaching on March 5. The Pew Research Center reported in a 2023 survey 63% of Americans are dissatisfied with the presidential candidates for this year's election. For more information on registering to vote, visit the Elon Votes webpage or go to their in-person office in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life in Moseley 232.

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NEWS 3/2/24 6:06pm

Trump makes campaign stop in Greensboro

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally after 2 p.m. on March 2 inside the Greensboro Coliseum — attracting thousands of supporters. North Carolina Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State House Speaker Tim Moore, Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Virginia Foxx, also used the opportunity to rally supporters to vote next week. Republican primary challenger Nikki Haley, a former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor, also made a speech on March 2 in Raleigh. Among the attendees of the event was Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson, who showed his support for President Trump.

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NEWS 3/1/24 10:38am

Breaking down Alamance County elections ballot

By Cassie Weymouth

With the 2024 Presidential Primary Election coming in March several positions besides the Presidential nomination are up for election. These include 15 positions that are up for election, depending on how the voter registered these positions vary from the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian ballots. There are 15 positions on the ballot across all three ballots. Early voting is open now until March 2 and Elon South Gym is an early voting location. Election Day is March 5 and voting is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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NEWS 2/26/24 9:06pm

Elon Town Council votes to open green space to public

By Lilly Molina

Elon's Town Council hosted their second work session of the year, where they unanimously decided to make the green space on North Holt Avenue open to the public in order to bring more people into Elon. Monti Allison, mayor pro tem, said he wanted to open the greenspace — previously a beer garden for Toasty Kettlyst — as a place for special events, such as more beer sales. This in turn would call for the expansion of the social district. Downtown Development Director Jill Weston also announced that Med Deli would be opening Thursday, Feb. 29.

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NEWS 2/15/24 8:29am

Elon University’s Student Government Association asks students to vote on new constitution

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon’s Student Government Association released a newly revised constitution for the student body to vote for or against on Feb. 16. Since March of 2023 the SGA has been working on a new constitution and on Feb. 1 the Senate approved it. On Friday, Feb. 2, Jon Dooley, vice president of student life, sent an email out to all undergraduate students encouraging students to read the new constitution and vote on PhoenixConnect. Dooley — in his email — urges everyone to take part in the democratic process on Elon’s campus.

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NEWS 2/14/24 10:23am

Elon Town Council approves hotel tax, deliberates green space

By Lauren Winslow

Elon Town Council approved a local occupancy tax, set at 3%, for hotels in Elon. During its meeting on Feb. 13, Elon joined the Alamance County Municipal Tourism Development Authority alongside Burlington; Mebane and Graham have yet to vote on the matter. The tax is set to be put into effect on July 1. With the Inn at Elon being one of the only hotels in town, this tax would draw from university revenue made through the Inn. The council also debated extending the lease for Toasty Kettlyst's location on North Holt Avenue’s green space.

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NEWS 2/11/24 1:17pm

Town of Elon faces vacancy crisis

By Miles Hayford

The town of Elon is currently facing a vacancy crisis among their staff, facing vacancies at the positions of town planner in the developmental services department, recreation and parks director and a position in human resources. Town clerk is also vacant, but will have someone filling the spot on March 4. But the department that has felt these vacancies the most is the police department. Elon’s police department currently has two vacant positions. The department has had the highest level of turnover over the course of this past year, and is the hardest one to find candidates for, according to Town Manager Rich Roedner. 

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NEWS 2/9/24 6:13pm

Elon Law student camps for seat in Trump’s Supreme Court hearing

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon Law student Landon Eckard left for D.C. as soon as he got out of class on Tuesday, Feb. 6. After arriving at the Supreme Court building around 7 p.m., Eckard waited in line for a seat in former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court hearing on Feb. 8 — where The Court deliberated if Trump should be barred from the 2024 presidential ballot. With a lawn chair and some blankets, Eckard was third in line and waited for two days.

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NEWS 1/30/24 8:37am

Photo Story: An unprecedented New Hampshire primary

By Joseph Navin

The 2024 “first in the nation” presidential primary in New Hampshire marked a deviation from precedent, where both Republicans and Democrats would host their respective primary elections in the Granite State. But this year, the primary for the Democrats officially shifted to South Carolina, while the Republican primary remained in New Hampshire. The 2024 Presidential Primary now shifts to Nevada and South Carolina, with Republicans having their next election in Nevada on Feb. 8 and the Democrats holding their first official primary on Feb. 3. North Carolina will hold both Republican and Democrat primaries on March 5.

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NEWS 1/22/24 9:35pm

Elon Town Council approves 5% raise for town employees

By Avery Sloan and Miles Hayford

Elon Town Council voted to add a 5% pay raise for all town employees. With multiple vacancies across the staff, including town planner, parks and recreation director and multiple positions within the police department, Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe said she hopes this will help attract and retain employees. During the town council meeting Jan. 22, in a 3-2 vote, the council voted to increase pay for all town employees. The vote came after discussion on how to increase pay of staff employees, with either a flat rate or a percentage increase based on salary.

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NEWS 1/16/24 12:10pm

Elon University students follow 2024 presidential primaries

By Sophie Rosenthal

During this Winter Term, 11 Elon University political science and journalism students are traveling to South Carolina and New Hampshire to study the 2024 presidential primaries. Students spent the first half of the trip in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, where they focused primarily on the Democratic strategy in its upcoming primary Feb. 3 and attended President Joe Biden’s speech at the Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church on Jan. 8. Now, they are in Manchester, New Hampshire, where they are focusing primarily on the Republican primary Jan. 23.

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NEWS 1/8/24 9:48am

Charleston County Democratic Party kicks off Biden campaign with volunteers

By Abigail Hobbs

Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta said a reporter recently asked him if a campaign based on democracy will be enough to get voters to reelect President Joe Biden. Kenyatta spoke at the Charleston County Democratic Party headquarters where the CCDP hosted a phone banking event Jan. 6 with local volunteers — calling registered democrats to remind them of the upcoming South Carolina democratic presidential primary Feb. 3 — the first democratic primary in the nation. The South Carolina Republican primary is Feb. 24 — the third Republican primary following New Hampshire and Nevada. 

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NEWS 11/9/23 6:30pm

Alamance County Board of Elections results show incumbent wins, first Black Burlington city council member

By Madison Powers

According to the Alamance Board of Elections on Nov. 9, results for the Nov. 7 elections will be unofficial until Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. Polls closed at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 for municipalities in Alamance County. Incumbent Jim Butler has a lead in the election for Burlington mayor, beating Beth Kennett. Dejuana Bigelow and Bob Ward are the top two candidates for City of Burlington council members. If elected, Bigelow would be the first Black woman to hold the position. For the Town of Elon council election — of which three seats are available — incumbents Quinn Ray and Monti Allison are the top two candidates with Michael Woods in third.

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NEWS 11/7/23 12:08pm

Elon University SGA sees failed impeachment attempt

By Abigail Hobbs

Elon University’s Student Government Association’s Vice President of Finance senior Gabby Gutiérrez faced an impeachment vote Nov. 2 after Student Body President Britt Mobley and Speaker of the Senate Chloe Higgins filed a formal judicial complaint, according to a statement sent to Elon News Network Nov. 7 from the SGA executive team. A student in SGA, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the participants at the hearing were told not to talk about it and the time between when the complaint was filed on Oct. 26 to the hearing on Nov. 2 was not long enough for proper deliberation.

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NEWS 11/2/23 12:24pm

North Carolina redistricting sets stage for 2024 elections

By Joseph Navin

The North Carolina General Assembly passed a series of new district maps, including ones for the State House and the Senate, along with a new congressional map for the U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 25. Currently, Alamance County is part of North Carolina’s fourth congressional district, which is represented by Democrat Rep. Valerie Foushee. The new map will place Alamance in the 9th congressional district, which Republican Rep. Richard Hudson represents. Elon professor of political science Jason Husser, who has expertise in North Carolina politics, said the new maps will put Republicans at an advantage.

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NEWS 10/24/23 11:26am

Elon University students share political involvement following second Republican debate

By Alexa Citrin

As municipal and U.S. national election campaigns ramp up — with Alamance County municipal elections being held Nov. 7 — Elon civic engagement organizations such as Elon Votes arrange events to get students involved. The next Republican primary debate is scheduled for Nov. 8. As of Oct. 24, there are no Democratic primary or general election debates scheduled for the 2024 presidential election campaign. Senior Tori Kelleher, an involvement ambassador for Elon Votes, said watch parties are hosted at Elon for both Republican and Democratic debates and are meant to foster discourse.  

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NEWS 10/10/23 10:45pm

Elon Town Council voices concerns over conditional rezoning on Manning Ave

By Lauren Winslow

The Elon Town Council heard a conditional rezoning petition for Manning Avenue, in which Anthony Hezar, the developer for the project, said he wants to build duplexes on two currently vacant parcels of land. Manning Avenue houses the Oaks apartment complex and leads away from Elon University’s campus and into residential neighborhoods. The proposal occurred during a council meeting Oct. 10. Due to the location of the parcels of land near a stream buffer, three waivers would need to be approved by the council in order for construction to start. 

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NEWS 10/2/23 8:03am

Elon University SGA elections allow freshmen to be heard on campus

By Monika Jurevicius and Alex Sterne

Elon University students voted in on-campus elections for freshman senators on Sept. 12. As local elections approach, alternatives to voter ID are being introduced to help students vote in off-campus local municipal elections through the new Elon Phoenix Voting card. North Carolina requires voters to present an ID, drivers’ license or university card starting in 2023.  The new Elon Phoenix Voting cards are a substitute for identification and look like the typical Phoenix ID, but are labeled with a valid “North Carolina voter” inscription, much like a U.S. real ID.

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NEWS 9/23/23 3:44pm

Elon University students emphasize campus resources, elections following SB747 veto

By Keely Garcia

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper recently vetoed the proposed Senate Bill 747 — a bill that would have made it more difficult for young people and people of color to vote. As a result,  Elon Votes is encouraging students to utilize campus resources and learn more about civic engagement. SB747 was proposed earlier this year and would make it more likely for absentee ballots to be thrown away as a result of minor issues. 

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NEWS 9/22/23 4:26pm

State fiscal budget released after monthslong delay

By Joseph Navin

The North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 259 on Sept. 22 in a 70-40 midnight vote by the state House of Representatives and a 26-17 vote in the state Senate later in the morning. Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement following passage of HB259 on Sept. 22, explaining that while he will not sign the bill into law, he also won’t veto it — allowing HB259 to become law in 10 days.

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