Today, a potential eight million registered voters will decide Pennsylvania’s governor.
The Republican and Democratic competitors include incumbent Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf, who have both been wrapping up their campaigns the last week with stops across the commonwealth.
On Sunday, Wolf stopped on Main Campus to deliver remarks on a get-out-the-vote effort alongside President Barack Obama.
It’s important to take these kinds of historic moments on Main Campus as gentle reminders of the influence of the general public. As students, it is our democratic and civic duty to vote – not just for this term’s gubernatorial candidate, but every election.
But, as a university, one of the most crucial elections is the race for governor. Temple, a state-related school, gets 16 percent of its funding from the commonwealth. Making sure the issue is a top priority at the highest level starts the quality of education we receive.
Both Corbett and Wolf have education – both primary and secondary – as major talking points of their campaigns. In 2011, Corbett received backlash from cutting education funding. Temple saw an 18 percent drop in its state appropriation and raised tuition for students.
The biggest impact a student can make to ensure tuition doesn’t continue to rise is by casting a ballot. Polls throughout the state are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. A guide to your local polling place can be found on page 6.
But to cast an educated ballot, a voter must be informed. Within this week’s news section, we have a breakdown of both gubernatorial candidates’ stances on a few key issues, including comment from both candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Mike Stack and Jim Cawley. There is also a profile of State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, who’s running unopposed.
In addition, The Temple News has stories on Temple Student Government’s get-out-the-vote efforts, a breakdown of what politicians trustees have donated to and how Temple College Republicans and Temple College Democrats prepared for the election.
We encourage our readers to recognize the importance of the issues facing schools like Temple throughout the state, and take action by heading to the polls.
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