2
Monday, November 2, 1998
Workers Make Elections Happen
By Melanie Floyd
Staff Writer
For some, Election Day is more than
just stopping by the polls on the way to
work - it is work.
From precinct workers to the direc
tor of the county board of elections,
from UNC Young Democrats to UNC
College Republicans, Nov. 3 is the cul
mination of months of preparation.
Bill McDonald, who has worked at
the Eastside precinct in Chapel Hill for
the past five years, said he avoided pol
itics on Election Day.
“There are two Republicans and two
Democrats that work at my precinct,”
McDonald said. “It doesn’t matter,
though. We’re all close friends. There
are no politics that day. We don’t get
involved - we’re just paid workers.”
McDonald said one of the highlights
of working at the poll site from 6 a.m. to
about 8:30 p.m. was getting to see all
the voters. “I enjoy it,” he said. “I get to
see all my neighbors that 1 don’t get to
see very often. I love to see people get
involved and vote.”
Poll workers have little downtime
during the day, McDonald said. They
are responsible for checking voters in,
explaining how to use the voting
machines and ensuring no influential lit
erature is in the booths.
“We rotate around doing different
chores so nobody’s doing the same
thing all day long,” he said.
After the polls close, poll workers use
a computer to tally all the votes from
their precinct and then telephone to the
Orange County Board of Elections.
“We get really happy when the last
precinct calls in,” said Carolyn Thomas,
director of the Orange County Board of
Elections. “We total them up and then
put the totals on the Internet.”
Thomas spends most of the day
Campus Calendar
Monday
3:30 p.m. - Dubravka Ugresic, vis
iting professor in the Department of
Slavic Languages and Literatures, will
read several of her stories in the Bull’s
Head Bookshop.
7:30 p.m. - The Dialectic and
Philanthropic Societies will debate
“Resolved: Twenty-four hour news
media have been detrimental to jour
nalism” on the third floor of New West.
Student Stores
I S 3 S @ 7 Homecoming!
Nancy Parrish reads from J Charlie Choo-Choo Justice
Were celebrating Native Todd Taylor speaks on Keith Brown reads from Annie Dillard and the Hollins will be signing books at
American Month Dubravka Ugresic reads Columbia Guide to OnlineWriting Sacred Bond:The Relationship Group at 2:30p.m. Back in stock 1 Latte and halftime on the North
with 15% off all Native from her stories at 3p.m. (St/le on the Internet) Between Black Men and their . r anmirr : nft Muctc side of Kenan Stadium
American titles at 3:30p.m. Mo Him at 2:30p.m. *touth Angst Society, Sp.m. | Cappucono Mugs dunng ,f, e Maryland Game
® iMT 13^3
IV Iv 3Com will be , n . , JP Seaton and James „ . . l Y )
Work off stress \ft lit demonstrating the # ” B ' na ™ ™ d „ s rom Sanford talk about He Products L„en up i The UNC
with a UNC Vllt > Palm 111 in the RAM his book DeficitHysteno o^ShouMKrmMeßyN are 10% off in School your work space with a Basketball
Duncan Yo-Yo$ hop on Nov 9 & )0 at 3:3O P m - at 3:00p.m. Su PP hes thls week - new Mo H? e Pad Calendar is in!
15 1 21
I Jerry Cotten discusses I Reynolds Price Jj-jjJ j I Show y° ur
Official Carolina Rings It’s not too late for December Jf light and Air The Photograph/ of Theda Purdue reads from rea( j s f rom his new book Animal Crackers u support for \
and Announcements graduates to order their fIV Bayard Wooten Cherokee Women Learning aTrade rock! The Pit Stop has the Tar Heels with \Y
I-800-278-7644 announcements! at 3:30p.m. at at 3; Mp m - lots of lowfat snacks a Hand Clapper
aft ||l| 15 27
Calendars arc 15% is S* wnting yonr hnhday Rp^ SG ' VING BREAK^^^ 0
off all month long! Fight off the chill in bright in the Pit Stop, ACC newsletter! The RAM Shop jjoie CLOSED -3ST ctorf rmcrn STtlftF CIfISFH
g warm, toy fleece' Express. Osier & Blue Ram Jf” THANKSGIVING SI0 “ a ° SED STORE CLOSED
printer paper
29 U® || Regular Hours:
Saturday I Oam-9pm Monday-Thursday 7:3oam-1 Ipm
THANKSGIVING Get a large Sunday I pm-1 Ipm Friday 7:3oam-9pm
RDcak fountain drink for , ' , ....... . ..... . .
STORE CLOSED 25c in the Circus Room Hours may change due to holidays and home football games. Sorry, we cannot fulfill mail order requests.
Osier, Nook,& Blue Ram V/s/t the store on the web at http://www.store.unc.edu/
All readings are in the Bull's Head Bookshop. Reading times may change-check our web site for updates.
DTH/FILE PHOTO
Though many students participate in the elections with a vote and a few quick glances at the numerous
campaign signs, Election Day is the culmination of months of preparation for candidates and poll workers.
answering questions from call-in voters
and precinct workers, she said. Her
office typically receives more than 100
phone calls on Election Day.
Although Election Day is just the
beginning for the elected candidates, it
is the end of a long road for Thomas.
The Board of Elections starts its
preparations 50 days before each elec
tion by designing the ballots, making
sure the machines are in top shape,
training the 154 poll workers and mak
ing sure all 42 voting sites are available.
Thomas is also busy in the days fol
lowing each vote doing recounts and
Guests are welcome to speak or listen.
7:30 p.m. - Merlin Holland, Oscar
Wilde’s only grandson, will present
“Killing One Peacock with Two Stones:
Dorian Gray and the Downfall of Oscar
Wilde” in Paul Greene Theatre. Holland
will answer questions afterward. The
event is free and open to the public.
Tuesday
3:30 p.m. - Todd Taylor, assistant
English professor, will discuss his new
book, “The Columbia Guide to Online
Style,” in the Bull’s Head Bookshop.
Elections '9B
closing shop until the next election, she
said.
“The day after is more hectic than the
day of elections,” Thomas said. “After
it’s all over, the board meets on the
Friday following Election Day to verify
everything and send their certified num
bers to the state.”
UNC students are also getting
involved in the Election Day frenzy.
Emily Howell, co-president of UNC’s
Young Democrats, said the group was
busy encouraging students to vote.
“We want students to realize the
importance of their vote,” Howell said.
Wednesday
2:30 p.m. - Keith Brown, author
and broadcast journalist, will speak
about his book, “Sacred Bond: Black
Men and Their Mothers,” in the Bull’s
Head Bookshop.
5 p.m. - Undergraduates through
Youth Angst Society will read their
poetry and prose in the Bull’s Head
Bookshop.
Thursday
3:30 p.m. - Nancy Parrish, adjunct
“We are doing everything we can to get
students to the polls.”
Young Democrats members will be
working at different campaign sites -
calling people to encourage them to
vote. Howell said student government
would be offering Point-2-Point shuttle
rides to the polling sites.
Craig Warner, a spokesman for
College Republicans, said his group
would help monitor several of the
polling sites to ensure a fair election.
The State 8 National Editors can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
history professor at Virginia State
University, will discuss her book “Lee
Smith, Annie Dillard and the Hollins
Group: A Genesis of Writers,” in the
Bull’s Head Bookshop.
Items of Interest
■ University Chamber Players will
perform at 8 p.m. on Friday in Person
Recital Hall. Professor of Music Donald
L. Oehler will direct.
■ Pat Conroy, author of “The
Prince of Tides,” will read from his work
at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Memorial Hall.
Water, Gas Bonds
Up for Approval
While Gov. Jim Hunt backs
the $1 billion in bonds, the
state treasurer says they are
not good fiscal policy.
By Jessica Jones
Staff Writer
North Carolina’s fate in water, sewer
and natural gas improvements will be
decided Tuesday as voters choose
whether or not to spend $1 billion in
state bonds.
State leaders are divided over
whether spending the money is a good
idea.
According to a press release from the
N.C. Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, SSOO million would
be used to fund water and wastewater
capital projects, S3OO million for water
and sewer loans and S2OO million for
natural gas funding in coastal and high
land rural communities.
Grants for water and sewer improve
ments would give priority to projects
that improve water quality without pro
moting sprawl, the press release stated.
The water bonds will improve waste
water treatment and drinking water
quality by updating plants and pipeline
infrastructure, said Don Reuter, director
of public affairs for the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources.
“We think it’s very important to the
future of our state,” he said.
Reuter said some systems in the state
were almost 80 years old and needed
considerable repair. He said the addition
of natural gas to rural communities
Proceeds will benefit anew Thomas
Wolfe Prize and annual lectureship.
Tickets are $5 for students and $lO for
non-students and are on sale at the
Student Union box office.
■ “Mother/Smother/
Other/Lover,” a multimedia exhibit
describing motherhood, will be on dis
play through Nov. 19 in Hanes Art
Center.
■ Volunteer Orange!, a service of
the Triangle United Way, has immediate
volunteer needs. If interested, call 929-
9837.
QJljr Haily ®ar JJppl
would be a good economic opportunity.
Businesses prefer gas as a fuel source.
Though Gov. Jim Hunt endorses the
bonds, State Treasurer Harlan Boyles
said he did not
“Borrowing more money in prosper
ous times is not a good fiscal policy for
North Carolina,” Boyles said.
Boyles said though $1 billion was the
bond amount, the amount owed would
total $2 billion when payback was
added.
“We know from the past, when bud
get crunches arose, the budgets were
balanced on the backs of our education
al problems and our public employees.”
Boyles said the natural gas bond was
appalling because the proceeds were
earmarked for private enterprise.
Sen. John Kerr, D-Wayne, who spon
sored the bill, said the state had prob
lems with old water and sewer systems,
and that the bonds would not raise
taxes.
But Boyles stated in a press release
that this was not the whole truth. “Our
state Constitution requires that debt ser
vice be paid from the first funds avail
able, so there will always be money to
pay off bonds,” he stated. “However,
this requirement will reduce the amount
of money left over to pay for school
improvements (which rely upon taxes).”
Kerr said now was the time to borrow
money because interest rates were low.
“It’s a must, a step forward,” he said.
“If any part of the state is hurting,
we’re all hurting,” Kerr said. “We’re all
in this together,”
The State & National Editors can be
reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
For the Record
The Oct. 27 article “History Spells
Out Frustration” should have stated
the Graduate and Professional
Student Federation Senate received
25 percent of graduate student fees
as a result of a 1994 referendum.
The Oct. 29 editorial “Divided We
Fall” contained the same error.
The Daily Tar Heel regrets the
errors.