With Democratic wins across Nevada, power has shifted within the state legislature. Given a mandate and a near supermajority, the Democrats have the opportunity to solve the state’s budget woes, but some worry ideology will keep them from finding a solution.

Despite a high youth turnout last Tuesday, some political experts are wondering if the youth will remain politically active or just become a blip at the voting booth.
Eric Herzik, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, said the spike in interest was due to a well-run campaign by President-elect Barack Obama. According to a CNN exit poll, 68 percent of young voters chose Obama, while 30 percent chose Se. John McCain.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama accepted the presidency of the United States of America Tuesday night, bringing tears of joy to some University of Nevada, Reno students and disappointment to others.

Watch the live blog of the election night, complete with polling information from several of the nation’s top news organizations, up to the minute state results and reports from the Republican and Democratic watch parties.

The past two years of presidential races have been building up toward Tuesday. Millions of dollars have been spent, thousands of volunteers across the country have knocked on doors and made phone calls, and candidates from both major political parties have repeatedly swept through the area.

The Republican vice presidential candidate is to speak at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center at 8:30 p.m.

Stay tuned as Washoe County Democrats and Republicans watch as the election results pour in.

Outside of the Joe Crowley Student Union, Brian Parcon is one of the volunteers repeating one question:

“Have you voted yet?”

The 18-year-old political science major knows historically, young voters don’t turn out to vote. He knows the pundits predict apathy from his age group.

But he thinks they’re wrong.

Barry Belmont, John Russell and Alyssa Cowan, members of the University of Nevada, Reno Students for Liberty, began setting up their campaign table while Barack Obama supporters shot glared at them while manning their own table a few feet away.

For about 30 years, celebrity opinion has taken off, especially when voiced in the political arena.

The opinion becomes highly visible and occasionally divisive, but rarely makes-or-breaks an election, Stacy Gordon, a University of Nevada, Reno political science professor, said.
She said they help to get people excited for an event but do little else.

There are so many groups on campus telling people to vote, it’s easy to forget this is the first election in which many students are eligible to vote.

During both of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama’s recent University of Nevada, Reno campaign stops, thousands packed the venues, drawing national media attention.
For UNR, the recognition means a lot. It strengthens programming, increases student recruitment and could lead to better rankings in national reports, UNR spokeswoman Jane Tors said.

Nevada’s voters may be focused on which presidential ticket they will vote for come Election Day, but political experts said voters need to remember the importance of state and local races this year.

“You see voters come in every four years, and they vote for president and Congress, but they won’t vote for the state legislature,” said Kenneth Fernandez, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

In his second visit to the University of Nevada, Reno within a month, Sen. Barack Obama mocked his opponent Sen. John McCain and discussed plans to revive the economy to a crowd of about 11,000 people.

 

 Presidential canidate Barack Obama's speech at Peccole Park [33:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What: Sen. Barack Obama
When: 7:30 a.m. Saturday
Where: Peccole Park

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• Big break for 'model' student
• Students question provost on budget cuts
• 25 percent tuition increase unlikely
• Audio Slideshow: First-generation student graduates
• Denison’s suspected killer arrested
• ‘Daisies’ gets a premature burial
• Dec. 3, 2008 - Provost Marc Johnson answers student questions
• First-generation students face extra barriers in college
• Williams gives Pack post presence
• 'Bolt' saves the holiday

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