Politics

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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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NEWS 9/17/23 9:44pm

NC Democrats rally for gun regulations in wake of UNC shooting, lockdowns

By Joseph Navin

Roughly 300 people met at the Halifax Mall in Raleigh beside the North Carolina Legislative Complex to protest gun violence and promote gun control legislation. The “People > Guns” rally was organized by the Young Democrats of North Carolina and comes weeks after University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill professor Zijie Yan was shot and killed on campus Aug. 28. Yet, it only comes four days after UNC's second lockdown of the school year on Sept. 13, where an individual was reported waiving a firearm inside a cafe in the middle of campus.  

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NEWS 8/1/23 6:14pm

Lawsuit settled against Alamance County sheriff

By Avery Sloan

Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson settled a lawsuit for $430,000 on July 28. Two parties, Aris Hines and Brandi Thomason, filed their suit against Johnson in 2019 after being arrested in 2016 for falsifying documents to enroll a student at Eastern Alamance High School. The student played basketball and football for the school — causing the school to be stripped of 28 football and basketball wins. Hines and Thomason alleged offenses of Felony Common Law Obstruction of Justice and Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretenses.

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NEWS 7/22/23 8:01am

Alamance Board of Elections candidates

By Madison Powers

The deadline for Alamance Board of Elections candidates was July 20, leaving a finalized list of candidates for primary elections this fall. City of Burlington elections will be held Oct. 10, while a primary for other municipalities in Alamance County will be held Nov. 7. Here is a brief list of candidates running for Elon Town Council, City of Burlington positions and Town of Gibsonville positions.

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NEWS 6/13/23 11:31pm

Town council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion

By Avery Sloan

Elon Town Council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion during its June 13 meeting. The pavilion will have a 1,766 square-foot open structure with a storage shed in the back and will be used for student gatherings. Council also held a public hearing for conditional rezoning, in which they reviewed a residential project request, Parc East, containing 44 single-family homes and 85 townhomes. The area is at the northeast intersection of University Drive and Shallowford Church Road.

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NEWS 6/11/23 12:52pm

Republicans visit Greensboro for NC GOP Convention, attempt to unify party for presidential election

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Greensboro for the North Carolina GOP Convention on June 9 and 10. Over 24 hours after being indicted with 37 felony charges,  Trump spoke about his innocence following his federal charges, as well as his 2024 presidential campaign. Pence spoke about supporting The Constitution over Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection riots, while DeSantis spoke about passing legislation that would further restrict transgender athletes.

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NEWS 5/18/23 4:42pm

Town of Elon council member announces bid for reelection

By Kyra O'Connor

Town of Elon council member Quinn Ray announces bid for and is one of three council members up for reelection in the fall. Ray is the first to announce his candidacy and was first elected to Elon Town Council in 2019. He is a native of Alamance County and said his main goals if elected are to make Elon an example of what a successful college town can be for both students and residents. 

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