The war in Iraq/terrorism, same sex marriage and the economy were the top three issues chosen during a vote of campus community members Sept. 7. Details...
A total of 437 people voted Tuesday, choosing three issues they felt were most important in the upcoming presidential election. Each person voted for their top three issues by casting a blue chip for the issue they saw as most important, a red chip for the issue that they saw as the second most important, and a white chip for the third most important.
The war in Iraq and terrorism, listed as separate items in the voting, were later combined as one issue. A total of 140 people said the war in Iraq and terrorism were the most important issues, and a total of 309 people voted for those issues.
Same sex marriage emerged as the second most important issue, with a total of 137 people voting for the issue. Forty-two people chose same sex marriage as their most important issue, while 53 named it the second most important.
Fifty-four of the 115 people who voted for the economy chose it as their most important issue.
Narrowly missing the top three were the environment and health care.
The top three issues will be used as a basis for a campus debate Oct. 21. Applications for participation on three teams, composed of four people each, will be available to students, faculty and staff on Blackboard. Karen Holt, national director of Project Pericles, will moderate the debate.