i-elect

Degree helpful for future stability, but at what cost?

Paying tuition isn’t affordable for sophomore Robert Tennison. He cannot turn to his mother for financial aid, a single parent with three other children to support. Federal aid and banks loans haven't been fruitful either. Read more

Election comes at a pivotal time for new job seekers

As the 2012 election approaches, many college students are looking to the presidential candidates to further alleviate their concerns. Read more

Point-Counterpoint: Women's issues

Ashley Degrud and Morgan McFarland, members of the UI campus community, debate on the topic of abortion, which was one of the issues ranked as highly important among the student body in the I-Elect survey. Read more

Students rank health care as primary concern

Nobody knows exactly how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will affect the landscape of the medical industry. Read more

Single-issue voters for or against gay marriage are few but passionate

Many University of Illinois students are concerned with how the presidential candidates are addressing and responding to LGBT issues. Read more

Why is defense so far down on the list?

U.S. involvement overseas is no longer in the forefront of young voters' minds. For returning veterans, however, it’s more personal. Read more

Other News

Presidential candidates have different ideas for operations in Middle East

Both presidential candidates have different ideas visions for the war-stricken Middle East. Here is a breakdown county-by-country. Read more

I-Elect survey shows students vote

The 2012 I-Elect survey results show that, contrary to popular belief, students actually do vote — or at least they say they do. Read more

Social media may create opportunities for candidates — if they can be seen

With Election Day rapidly approaching, candidates have been taking advantage of recent technological developments by using social media in their campaigns. But the majority of voters who use social media do not report it has influenced their political views, according to a 2012 I-Elect survey. Read more

I just want to laugh: Comedy used for political cause

“A wise man once said, more people have smoked marijuana than voted for President (George) Bush,” said comedian Nick Martin to his coffee shop audience. He had their attention. Did they get it? “That wise man was the bassist of Nirvana.” Martin now stays away from political humor in his shows, but other comedians are very much in the public scope when it comes to politics. Read more

What's hot on Twitter

Here are some of the topics that have been trending during the 2012 elections. Read more

Political candidates share online campaign strategies

Although local candidates use social media in all different ways in their campaigns, Chicago Tribune Social Media Editor Scott Kleinberg said they may not be using it to its fullest potential. Read more

Youth vote increases but still low

Voters ages 18 to 24 have the lowest turnout percentage in the country – although that percentage has increased during the last three presidential elections, according to a study by Tufts University. Read more

Three hot-button issues for women during this year’s campaign

President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are paying attention to the women’s vote, especially over three key issues: contraception, abortion and equal pay. Read more

Organized student activism on campus spans the political spectrum

I-Elect caught up with four University of Illinois students involved with behind-the-scenes political work with campus political organizations. These organizations include Young Americans for Liberty, College Republicans at UIUC, Illini Democrats and International Socialist Organization. Read more