Your vote can determine your future

CHENEY – Do you have questions about voting and what will happen when you mail your ballot? What are the positions of some of the candidates?

And just why do we have an Electoral College?

Eastern Washington University’s College of Social Sciences hopes to provide some answers to those questions with “Your Future, Your Vote” — a week-long series of teach-ins and candidate town halls taking place next week.

“It’s something we do each election cycle,” College of Social Sciences Associate Dean Vernon Loke said. “We want to help students be informed while exercising their civic duty.”

The presentation topics — which are usually done in-person but this year will be virtual via Zoom — are developed through feedback from faculty and students and are open to everyone, Loke said. The information is designed to inform the electorate on issues specific to each election.

Several of the “teach-in” sessions deal with voting, beginning with “Securing Your Vote” on Oct. 19. Spokane County Auditor Vicki Dalton will discuss elections administration issues such as securing ballots, integrity of voter registration and the ballot handling process and efforts to make voting more accessible.

Dr. Travis Ridout, Washington State University Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Professor Government and Public Policy and Director of the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs will address voter suppression on Oct. 22. EWU assistant professor of history and Director of Social Studies Education Program Dr. Jacki Tyler will discuss ways female candidates are described and evaluated in American elections in “Be Strong, But Not Too Strong: Gendered Politics and American Elections” on Oct. 21.

Militias have suddenly taken a larger role in our election process, thanks to recent events, and Dr. John Collins, Chertok Endowed Professor and EWU senior lecturer in history will examine their rise and relationship to the Constitution, especially regarding the First Amendment in an Oct. 20 Teach-in. Finally, in Oct. 23’s “Why not our votes? The rationale for the Electoral College” Dr. Kevin Pirch will explore the reasons why the Founding Fathers chose to have an indirect presidential election — including the benefits and drawbacks of the system.

The Teach-in sessions take place from 11 – 11:50 a.m. each day, with Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs providing the keynote address “Your Future, Your Vote” at noon Oct. 19. Four town hall sessions were scheduled, beginning Oct. 20, in which topics included the economy, health care, law and order and environmental protection and climate change.

That number is now three as Republican gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp informed Loke he was canceling his virtual appearance on Oct. 20. Currently scheduled for town halls are 5th District Congressional candidate Democrat Dave Wilson (Oct. 21), Gov. Jay Inslee (Oct. 22) and 6th District State Representative candidate Democrat Tom McGarry (Oct. 23).

Loke said McGarry’s opponent, Republican incumbent Jenny Graham, has also canceled her appearance. The university invited Wilson’s opponent, eight-time incumbent Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, but were declined.

Loke said the town halls, which take place at 1 p.m. each day, feature a format that allows listeners to submit questions to candidates prior to the session and during as well.

Dates, times and participation information for all Your Future, Your Vote, is available at ewu.edu/vote. Loke also said the session would be broadcast on the university’s radio station, KEWU-FM.

“The downside of that is you can’t interact (with candidates),” he added. “But we just want to make it available as broadly as possible.”

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.