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WHERE... NEWS, PAGE 3
HOW... OPINION, PAGE 4
~~Iie 1Eigan4 Batt
Ann Arbor. Michigan
www.michigandaily.com
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
ELECTION
SNIPPETS
VOTING GUIDELINES
" Know where to go: Visit www.publius.
corn to find out where you're registered to vote.
If you live near campus, check out our precinct
map on page 3. You can also call the city clerk's
office at 734-994-2725.
0 Know what to bring: If you've never
voted in your current precinct, you'll need
identification to prove who you are. This can
be a driver's license or other photo ID. You also
might have to prove your residency. For this,
use a pay stub, bank statement or any docu-
ment with your name and current address. If
you have voted in your precinct previously, you
don't need any documents or identification.
Just go vote.
* Make it on time: Polls in Michigan are
open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
VOICE YOUR VOTE
JUST SHORT OF GOAL
The Michigan Student Assembly's Voice
Your Vote Commission registered 4,896
students to vote this year, falling just104
students short of their 5,000-person goal.
But they haven't given up trying to motivate
you to the polls: Look for volunteers doling out
information on the Diag and observing election
procedures at the polls.
AROUND THE NATION
0 Polls on the eve of the election from across
the country aren't predicting much for sure
- except that it will be a wild election night.
* Senate races in Rhode Island, Maryland
and Virginia have narrowed, and many U.S.
House of Representatives races that were
once considered safe Republican seats are
now in play. Most political analysts still expect
the Democrats to wrangle control of the
House, but the party will have a much harder
time wresting the Senate away from the GOP.
Democrats need to pick upl15 seatto take the
House and sly seats toftake the Senate.
* The Democrats haven't controlled both
houses of Congress since1994. Before then,
they controlled Capitol Hill for four decades
INSTANT COVERAGE
Check The Wire, The Michigan Daily's
news blog, for election updates throughout the
day at www.michigandaily.com/thewire.
COMING TOMORROW
Check out the Daily's comprehensive
election coverage in tomorrow's edition,
including:
. Results and analysisof state,Congres-
sional and local races
0 In-depth coverage of Proposal2, including
campus reaction and the history of affirmative
action at the University
0 Details on a possible shift of power in Con-
gress and what it could mean for the nation
0 Results and analysis of the other four ballot
proposals, including Proposal 5, which could
have a dramatic affect on University funding,
your education and your tuition
0 Who will fill the two open seats on the
UniversityBoard of Regentsand whatthat
means to you
WHERE THE
PARTISANS ARE
The University's chapters of the College
Democrats and College Republicans will
be working furiously tomorrow to get out the
vote for their respective candidates. Here are
their plans:
* Look for the Dems in the basement of
the Michigan Union and in Angell Hall
until 8 p.m.
. Republican students will be delivering
literature door-to-door in a last-ditch
campaign effort. They'll watch the returns at
oft-campus houses and don't plan to have any
election-watching events on campus.
COLEMAN TO RESPOND
TO ELECTION RESULTS
Regardless of how Michigan
votes on Proposal2 today,
University President
MarySueColeman will
address campus tomor-
row on the Diag at noon.
In the event of
poor weather,
Coleman will
deliver the
address in the
Michigan
League
Ballroom.
TODAY'S HI: 53
WEATHER LU: 43
LAST-DITCH EFFORT
BENJI DELL/Daily
LSA junior Jasmine Floyd sprays chalk near the block 'M' in the Diag last night. Floyd was campaigning against Proposal 2, an initiative on today's ballot that if passed
would end many affirmative action programs in Michigan, including the University's.
W2hat if.ir
Prop2 passes, ending affirmative action programs?
By WALTER NOWINSKI
Daily StaffReporter
Administrators are bracing themselves for what they
consider a major blow to campus diversity - the passage
of Proposal 2.
If the proposal fails today, race and gender consider-
ations stand. If not, it could dramatically alter the way
the University operates.
Unless a court delays its implementation, the pro-
posed constitutional amendment would take effect in
late December, forcing the University to abandon the
consideration of race halfway though this year's admis-
sions cycle.
Many University administrators have said they are
waiting to see what happens today before they decide
on a legal strategy or begin reviewing the University's
admissions policies. But several officials have suggested
that the University has already begun to prepare for the
proposal's passage.
Ted Spencer, director of undergraduate admissions,
confirmed last week that the admissions office was pre-
paring for what would happen if Proposal 2 passes. But
he alluded to the difficulty of fully developing a new
admissions policy at this point because the full legal
implications of Proposal 2 are yet to be seen.
"We don't have (an alternative admissions policy) we
have a lot of confidence in yet," Spencer said. "But we
know what we think we cannot do."
While Spencer acknowledged the possibility that
next year's freshman class might be admitted under
two separate admissions policies - one for those admit-
See PROP 2, page 7
... Proposal 5 passes, changing how the 'U' is funded?
By KELLY FRASER
Daily StaffReporter
The possible implications of Proposal 5 remain murky
to education policy experts, even on Election Day.
If passed, the proposal would fundamentally change
how the state funds the University and other schools,
requiring the Legislature to annually increase K-16
funding by the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever
is lower.
The proposal would also place a cap on the portion of
pension and health care benefits school districts have to
pay - transferring the remaining costs to the state.
It is estimated that the proposal would cost the state
at least $565 million in the first year, but education offi-
cials are unsure how the annual increases would affect
the overall budget.
"The answer is 'I don't know,' " said Mike Boulus,
executive director of the Presidents Council, a coalition
of the state's 15 public universities.
Proponents of the initiative maintain that it would
relieve budgetary pressures on universities to raise
tuition, but others, such as Paul Courant, a public policy
professor and former University provost, said it's impos-
sible to know the impact of the proposal.
"It mandates a very specific set of expenditures with-
out providing a clue where the money is coming from,"
Courant said. "It is thus impossible to tell what its over-
all consequences will be."
See PROP 5, page 3
... regental power shifts, throwing off Big House plans?
By GABE NELSON
Daily StaffReporter
The debate over whether luxury boxes have a place
in the Big House could become more complicated if
both Democratic candidates for the University Board of
Regents win at the polls today.
That outcome could deadlock the board, which in
May voted 5to 3 to approve a renovation plan thatwould
add suites to Michigan Stadium.
Republican Regent David Brandon, a former Univer-
sity football player with ties to the Athletic Department,
who is running for a second term, was a key supporter
of the plan.
With a high Democratic turnout expected for today's
election, experts say there's a good chance Brandon will
lose his seat on the board to Democratic candidate Julia
Darlow. If Darlow and incumbent Kathy White (D-Ann
Arbor) both win today, Darlow's vote could determine
whether the renovations to Michigan Stadium will
include skyboxes.
But Darlow hasn't taken a stance on suites. She said
she can't yet make an informed decision.
"I would needto start from scratch and make my deci-
sion based on all the information thathas been available
to the regents," Darlowsaid."I might even want to know
more, and I'd be in a position to ask for that information
and get it."
Regents Larry Deitch (D-Bingham Farms), Rebecca
McGowan (D-Ann Arbor) and White voted against the
luxury box proposal in May. If Darlow joins their ranks,
the board could be tied 4 to 4. According to the regents'
See REGENTS, page 7
Midnight at the Union: Granholm
makes her final campaign push
DeVos camp urges
voters to ignore
discouraging polls
By ANDREW GROSSMAN
Daily StaffReporter
Gov. Jennifer Granholm wound
down her re-election campaign at
a midnight rally last night in the
Pendleton Room of the Michigan
Union. It was her last stop on a
day of campaigning that began at
6:30 a.m. and sent her criss-cross-
ing the state.
Her tour included a stop at a
warehouse in Livonia, a grocery
store in Kalamazoo and a restau-
rant in Muskegon.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow rallied
supporters on the Union steps
before Granholm arrived.
Recent polls show Granholm
leading Republican challenger
Dick DeVos by margins between
7 and 13 points, while Stabenow is
polling ahead of former Oakland
County Sheriff Mike Bouchard by
8 to 19 points.
None of the candidates, though,
seem to be taking anything for
granted. All four have campaigned
hard in the days leading up to
today's election.
DeVos had a slightly shorter
day than Granholm yesterday. He
began campaigning at 7 this morn-
ing in Byron Center. He worked his
way eastward across the state.
See GOVERNOR, page 3
RODRIGO GAYA/Daily
JenniferGranholm rallies a crowd in the Michigan Union last night The incumbent
governor is facing Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard in today's election.
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COMING WEDNESDAY:
Is this the year for Michigan basketball? The
seniors think so. TIPOFF
INDEX
Vol CXV1 No. 43
02006 The Michigan Daily
michigndaiiy.com
NEWS
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