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GAGE SKIDMORE ON FLICKR Eastern Echo exit poll results Joe Biden wins from EMU Honors College Michigan Democratic presidential primary AUSTIN ELLIOTT majority of rural counties in the state. This EDITOR-IN-CHIEF year, Biden was a clear favorite in rural counties. As of 1 a.m., Sanders is only At just after 9 p.m. on election night, leading in one county. the Associated Press declared Joe Biden Biden has also been declared the winner the winner of the Democratic presidential in Mississippi and Missouri. The wins come primary in Michigan. after Biden’s impressive showing in South With 100% of precincts reporting, Biden Carolina and on Super Tuesday, when his has won Washtenaw County with 47.6% campaign was catapulted back to frontrunner of the vote, leading Sanders who has 45%. status. Sanders underperformed here compared Biden’s wins on “Super Tuesday 2” to 2016, when he beat Clinton by about 12 tonight have solidified his frontrunner status, percentage points in the county. and some Democrats are calling for Sanders Biden is also doing very well in Kent to exit the race or for the DNC to cancel County, home of Grand Rapids. With over future debates, including House Majority half of precincts reporting, Biden is in the Whip James Clyburn, a key endorsement for lead by about 1,500 votes. In 2016, Sanders Biden’s campaign. carried the county against Clinton by over There are still 31 states and territories that 17,000 votes. have yet to vote, and primary elections will Tonight’s results were starkly different continue to be held through June 6. from those of 2016. Sanders won Michigan The rest of the results in Michigan will by 1.5 points then, and he carried the vast continue to come in throughout the night. CARMEN CHENG SIGNS OUTSIDE OF THE EMU HONORS COLLEGE IN SUPPORT OF THE WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE MILLAGE AUSTIN ELLIOTT voters at the Honors College was an EMU least important issues in our poll, only 11% EDITOR-IN-CHIEF student, the vast majority of voters were of voters chose one of those issues as their under 50 years old. Approximately 90% of priority. The Eastern Echo conducted an respondents were younger than 50 years old. On the topic of healthcare, 90% of unscientific exit poll at the EMU Honors Younger voters made up a supermajority in respondents are in favor of a single-payer College on election day to learn more our poll, with around 70% of voters being healthcare system that abolishes private about voters from those precincts and how under 30. insurance, which is a staple of the Sanders they compare to other voters in Washtenaw Approximately 87% of respondents voted campaign. The same number of respondents County and in Michigan. for Bernie Sanders, while about 9% voted also said they support tuition-free public It’s important to note that this data is for Joe Biden. This is very close to the actual colleges and universities, another major only from two precincts in Ypsilanti, both of precinct results, as Sanders won 86% of the pillar of Sanders’ campaign. which vote at the EMU Honors College. vote in the two precincts from the Honors And while we don’t have demographics All EMU students who are registered to College and Joe Biden won 13%. for specific precincts, the demographics vote at their address on campus vote at the Young voters have been one of Sanders’ of our exit poll are very close to the Honors College. Out of those who responded biggest strengths so far in the primary, and demographics of Washtenaw County. 70% to our poll, only around 25% of voters these precincts that skewed heavily towards of respondents were white and 19% were were EMU students. It’s important to note young voters also voted overwhelmingly for African American. According to the U.S. that EMU has a large number of commuter Sanders. Census Bureau, 74% of Washtenaw County students, who would be voting in their Voters in our poll were split between residents are white, while around 12% are hometowns. Additionally, our poll is only of healthcare and social issues being the most African American. voters who went to the polls on election day, important issue this election cycle. 30% Thank you to Ronia Cabansag, Gracie and a lot of students vote by absentee as well. said healthcare was the most important, Thompson, and Dan D’Introno for gathering Although only approximately one in four with another 30% citing social issues. data for this poll. Foreign policy and the economy were the Election...................................2 News..............................3 Comics.................................5 Sports..................................6 Classifieds...........................8 2 Wednesday, March 11 ELECTION The Eastern Echo Opinion: Michigan is a model for Opinion: Why Joe electoral reform, though it still Biden won Michigan HEATHER WEIGEL the race. OPINIONS EDITOR So why wasn’t Joe Biden Hillary 2.0 in has room to improve voting rights Michigan? There are several explanations. While this could present some issues in amendment to the Michigan Constitution or Going into election night, Michigan was The first is that Biden’s voting blocs are HEATHER WEIGEL considerably more moderate and pragmatic, OPINIONS EDITOR tabulation, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson official state legislative action, it is something considered a must-win for Sanders. Many of has pushed for easing the challenges to clerks to look into, although cementing it through his surrogates and pundits/pollsters pointed especially in the case of black and suburban by allowing them to begin counting absentee statute or amendment would increase its to his 2016 upset, suggesting it could very voters. Most of them believe that Biden not In 2018, Michigan cemented its status as only has a better chance of defeating Trump, a state to look at for electoral reforms, as all ballots before Election Day. She explains staying power. I would be in favor of such well happen again. Others weren’t so sure. I in a Michigan Radio interview that “... if voting expansion. fell solidly into the latter category. but also that he is a healthier top-of-the-ticket three 2018 referenda passed handily. While option for Democrats running in purple Proposal 1 legalized recreational marijuana you have twice as many ballots that you’re Other reforms are online voter The entire primary race thus far has counting as you were in the past election registration, relaxed voter identification been a referendum on Sanders-style leftism districts and swing states. Steve Bullock, in the state, Proposals 2 and 3 addressed such former presidential hopeful who was issues as gerrymandering and voter access, cycle, you need more time or you need more laws, less restrictive ballot access laws, while previous cycles, including the 2018 machines.” It is possible that the increased ranked-choice voting, and the joining of the midterms, were more of a referendum on reluctant to run for the Senate in Montana, both passing with over 60 percent “yes" piqued his interest in running at the prospect votes. absentee ballots and voter registration will National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Trump, especially in the suburbs which draw out voting for a few hours absent early Note: these are only suggestions for meeting turned over the House to the Democrats of Biden running (this is good for Democrats, Proposal 2 transferred the power of as Bullock is the most popular Democrat in drawing Congressional districts from the tabulation, though it is likely not comparable the general goal of increased voter access; (such Democratic candidates in Michigan to what happened in Iowa. An episode not all of them are necessarily conducive to are Haley Stevens and Elissa Slotkin, Montana and truly has a fighting chance). state legislature to a 13-member independent There is also an argument to make, redistricting commission. This was of Michigan Radio’s Stateside addresses election security and stability. both of which fall into the more moderate Benson’s proposal, which hit a wall in the There have also been attempts to camp of the Democratic party). Going into however, that there were many anti-Sanders essentially to offset the power of a majority votes from people who find his promises to one-party government in “gerrymandering” legislature. restrict ballot access. One notable attempt Tuesday night, I was personally sick of the The straight-ticket voting feature won’t is former Gov. Rick Snyder’s Michigan referendum on Bernie and was ready for it to be empty and his self-avowed democratic and ensuring control in the government by socialist label would prove to be an easy “packing” and “cracking” the opposition be applicable until the general election in House Bill 6595 which created a distribution turn into another on Trump; I was fully pro- November, as voters in the primary will requirement for the collection of signatures Biden to make that happen. target for GOP opposition efforts. vote. Following the 2010 census, Michigan Finally, on the issues, Biden really isn’t Republicans had a “trifecta” in the either receive a Democratic or Republican to put issues on the ballot; signatures in There are many reasons Bernie took ballot, given they choose a partisan ballot at any individual district could not exceed Michigan in 2016, most of which being moderate by many standards. His plan for government (holding the governorship and combating the opioid crisis is the most both state legislative chambers) and exerted all. 15 percent of the total collected statewide, related to anti-Clinton sentiment, increased So what’s next? Many advocates for creating a significant roadblock to ballot young voter turnout, and the happenstance of expansive in the field, his public option is still such power.

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