Virginia Race Crucial in Election

In an election that could potentially change the balance of power in the Senate the local race between Allen and Webb will have major implications.

The Virginia election is a particularly close race between Republican incumbent George Allen and Democratic challenger James Webb. The race has been marked with the expected mudslinging from both sides, with both candidates being accused of racial insensitivity.

According to Dan Wessner, Associate Professor of History, "The Senate is presently projected to shift several seats toward the Democrats, but will it be a large enough shift to give the Democrats a majority? If the Democrats pick up six seats, they have a clear majority. If they gain five seats, then it will be a 50-50 Senate."

The Democrats are currently "guaranteed" to pick up four Senate seats. In addition to these four, there are three very closely contested races taking place in Virginia, Missouri, and Tennessee, which could provide the Democrats with the majority they need. Wessner said, "As of Wednesday's polling, the Webb campaign is one to four points ahead of Allen. In the 2006 election every vote does matter." If two or more of the three contested states elect Democrats, it will grant them control of the Senate.

The mid-term elections possess such importance because they will decide the balance of the governmental branches. Currently, the Republicans control the Executive Branch and both Houses of Congress. The Democrats are projected to take control of the House of Representatives, and if they also take the Senate, they will be in control of Congress. As a result, the Republicans would control the executive, the Democrats would control the congressional, and the legislative branch would be more or less neutral. This would create a balance in power that should allow for the checks and balances the founding fathers hoped for.

Despite the major importance of the elections, voting is often not a high priority for some members of the student bofy. Since many students are from states other than Virginia, they must obtain and complete an absentee ballot to vote. This process is considerably more complicated if this is their first time voting. This can lead many students to avoid the hassle of voting altogether.

"I don't think I'm educated enough about the candidates to make a good decision." said Ben Moyer, a student from Pennsylvania.

The great irony is that many people around the world envy the American people for their power to influence world politics by voting. Wessner commented, "They wish they could vote in our elections, since whatever we decide WILL greatly affect choices that unfold in all of these other countries in terms of trade, economics, peace and war, the climate, and perceptions of terror. They feel that Americans ‘abuse' their freedom to vote by doing so irregularly and inattentively. It is our decisions as citizens that affect the world."