The general attitude on college campuses and among young voters

seems to be one of unconcern, with the exception of the

presidential election of 2008.

The general attitude on college campuses and among young voters seems to be one of unconcern, with the exception of the presidential election of 2008.

While presidential elections are important, most college students do not fully understand how much local elections can have greater effect on their daily lives than a national election.

City council members are in charge of everything from improving road conditions to setting the city’s budget, which can have a direct impact on students, yet the majority chooses not to vote.

There is not a comprehensive statistical analysis of voting trends for the entire country for both municipal and presidential elections.

However, many different states release their own voting findings for municipal elections and there is the United States Elections Project, which collects voting data for presidential elections and a few non-presidential elections.

The data from the municipal and presidential elections show similarities in voting trends.

Primary elections tend to have less voter turnout than the general elections.

Also the 2008 presidential elections had slightly more voters than either the 2000 or 2004 presidential elections.

This could be due to the younger voters who wanted to play a part in the historic elections.

Unfortunately, many do not feel that voting at the local level is beneficial or has any affect on them.

In Greensboro, specifically for A&T and campuses in east Greensboro, the officials that we vote for in the upcoming elections could affect the very smell in the environment.

The current city council’s attempt to open the White Street Landfill has been postponed for the next city council to handle.

Residential areas surrounded the landfill, with the nearest house being just 500 feet away.

It stirred up a lot of controversy due to its location in a predominantly African American area.

In 2001 the city council voted to close the landfill to residential and commercial trash, which happened at the end of 2006.

Due to rising gasoline costs, trucking the trash elsewhere is a large expense to the city and Councilman Mike Barber suggested the idea of reopening the landfill.

The majority of the current city council who were eligible to vote agreed that it should be reopened.

The residents of east Greensboro worked for years to get the landfill closed, calling it “environmental racism.”

Throughout A&T’s history action has been taken against injustice.

The A&T Four sat down in hopes of making the world a better place. This time, the action is involves casting a vote.

For so long in the history of the United States it was illegal for African American voices to even be heard through a vote.

Nov. 8 is the date for the general elections.

You can find more information including district information and polling locations by going to the Guilford County Board of Election’s website.

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• Noma Vilane