The Voter Update | 2011 Archive
Catching Up with the 'New Generation' of Voters
Regan Gatlin discusses her recent article for The Voter Update Magazine, looking at the attitudes of young voters as the 2012 election approaches.
Plus we speak with:
Sam Spencer from the Young Democrats of N.C.
Jonathan Bandy from the N.C. Federation of Young Professional Republicans
Inside N.C. Redistricting
We get an inside look at redistricting with Sen. Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg), chair of the N.C. Senate Redistricting Committee.
Plus Damon Circosta, executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, talks redistricting reform.
And Brent Laurenz from the Jones Street Chronicles breaks down the political impact of the Republican-drawn maps.
An Inside Look at Serving in the Legislature
What is it like to be a new legislator at a time when the state faces a massive $2 billion budget shortfall, among other challenges?
To get some insight, we speak with Rep. Marcus Brandon (D-Guilford), serving in his first N.C. House term.
The Potential GOP Presidential Field
At this point in 2007, major candidates such as Sens. John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had declared their candidacies for the 2008 presidential election.
So far this year, the GOP presidential field has been fairly quiet, but behind the scenes several candidates are beginning to line up donors and campaign staff.
We speak with Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling to gauge the strengths and weakness of potential Republican White House contenders.
Adding More Parties to the N.C. Ballot
Should it be easier for more political parties to get on the North Carolina ballot?
House Bill 32 ("Electoral Freedom Act of 2011") would do just that. Brian Irving from the Free the Vote N.C. Coalition makes the case for why opening the door to more parties -- and choices -- is a good thing for voters.
N.C. Legislature Kicks Off 2011 Session
This week marked the start of the new legislative session, with Republicans taking control of both the N.C. Senate and N.C. House for the first time since 1898.
What does a GOP majority mean for the General Assembly? How will lawmakers bridge the estimated $3.7 billion budget gap? And how could this year's session impact the 2012 election?
We speak with Dr. Andrew Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State University, to get insight into the changes and challenges in the legislature.
