lfrlc4lp:an Ann Arbor, Michigan Thursday, November 13, 2008 michigandaily.com ELECTION DAY PROCEDURE Early voting proposed in state Senate More than half of Crisler Arena's seats were empty during last night's men's basketball game against Northeastern, which Michigan won 76-56. The Athletic Department has used creative tactics this year to sell more seasonticket packages to students, including giving tickets away for free. For coverage of the game, see Sports, Page 5A. REBUILDING A FAN BASE Michigan voters face obstacles to casting ballots, bill sponsor says By LINDY STEVENS Daily StaffReporter With more and more states streamlining their election pro- cesses by allowing voters to cast ballots early, State Sen. Liz Brat- er (D-Ann Arbor) has sponsored a bill that would allow all regis- tered state voters to cast ballots prior to Election Day, loosen current state absentee voting laws and ease voter registration requirements. Brater said the legislation would simplify the voting pro- cess, increase voter turnout and reduce the wait times that voters faced at the polls on Nov. 4. At Mary Markley Hall on campus, young voters waited almost three hours to vote on Election Day. Current state voting laws, she said, restrict Michigan voters from participating in the demo- cratic process. "We are putting Michigan citi- zens at a disadvantage when it comesto havingtheirvoicesheard in national elections, compared to other states," Brater said. If the proposed reforms are enacted, voters could cast ballots at their city clerk's office in the several days prior to an election and would be allowed to regis- ter and vote in their precinct on the same day. Existing state law requiresvoters to beregistered 30 days prior to an election. The bill would also lift restric- tions on absentee voting and allow any voter to cast an absentee bal- lot. Currently, voters must be over 60 years old, incarcerated, have religious obligations, plan to be out of their precinct on Election Day or require special assistance casting their ballot because of a disability to qualify for absentee voting. Brater said students should be able to cast an absentee ballot without an excuse. "Students are very busy, and they have lots of things to do. They have tests to take, andstudy- ing, and classes to go to, and their time is valuable," Brater said. "It is very important for them to have access to these absentee ballots to make sure that their vote is counted." Twenty-eight states currently allow the "no-excuse" absentee voting model that Brater's bill would mandate. Brater said she has received support frommembers of the state House on the issue, but that the bill hasn't been strongly backed by members of the Senate. Brater said she has pushed for such a bill since taking office as a state rep- resentative in 1994, but her efforts See VOTING, Page 3A With ticket sales low officials try to restore once-proud program By BENJAMIN S. CHASE Daily StaffReporter It's been a decade now since the University of Michigan basketball team last went to the NCAA tour- nament, and the Athletic Depart- ment faces a conundrum: how do you promote a team that hasn't achieved significant success since its fans were in grade school? Faced with dwindling student ticket sales and dwindling atten- dance at the aging Crisler Arena, the Athletic Department has offered promotional student ticket pack- ages at a discounted price, given free admissionto mostgamesfor anystu- dent with an MCard and revamped the arena's facilities and atmosphere in an effort to draw students in. And yet, it has sold 480 student season tickets this season, down from about 600 last year. The regu- lar season's first two games, against Michigan Tech and Northeastern, drew just over 6,000 people each, leaving more than half of Crisler Arena's 13,751 seats empty. The Athletic Department hasn't always had this challenge. Fifteen years ago, fans filled Crisler Arena to watch the Michi- gan basketball team's Fab Five play. Led by Chris Webber, the team went to the Final Four of the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Tournaments. The year after their second Final Four appearance, the Athletic Depart- ment received 4,100 applications for 3,100 student season tickets. And then an investigation revealed that team booster Ed Mar- tin had given money to four Michi- gan players, including Webber. The team lost scholarship and the abil- ity to play in the NCAA Tourna- ment. The two Final Four banners from the Fab Five era came down from Crisler Arena's rafters. Ever since, enthusiasm for the Michiganmen'sbasketballteamhas dwindled. Former coach Tommy Amaker couldn't lead Michigan to an NCAA Tournament in six years. The team went 10-22 last season under new coach John Beilein. This season, the Athletic Depart- ment is banking on an improved basketball team. Michigan has won its first three games this season, including an exhibition victory over Saginaw Valley State and reg- ular-season wins against Michigan Tech and Northeastern. Marty Bodnar, associate athletic director of ticketing and market- ing, said the Athletic Department expects a turnaround in support if See TICKETS, Page 3A UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TH E NEW WHITE HOUSE SMILE, BRIAN WILSON Team to scan Mars data Panel: Obama has for conditions for life work cut out for him Transmissions from NASA Mars Lander stopped Monday By ELAINE LAFAY Daily StaffReporter Though signals from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander stopped on Monday because of dust storms and limited sunlight, University researchers who contributed to the mission are continuing their search for conditions favorable to life on the Red Planet by analyzing the data sent back by the lander. Launched by National Aeronau- tics Space Administration on Aug. 4, 2007, the Phoenix lander reached the northern region of Mars in May and has studied the planet's water history, climate and the different layers of itssurface. Rackham student Manish Mehta was one of the University research- ers who contributed to the lander's mission to Mars. Prior to the launch date, Mehta spent three years work- ing on the mission - five minutes of the mission, to be precise. "It was the most important five minutes of the mission," he said. Mehta's group, led by Nilton Renno, a professor in the Atmo- spheric, Oceanic and Space Sci- ences Department, worked on the spacecraft's landing on the planet's surface. The landing was considered especially important because NASA had previously lost contact with a previous rover because of complica- See ROVER, Page 3A Economy, Bush legacy will pose obstacles, profs say By ELIN BERGMAN Daily StaffReporter Between the financial crisis and the problems left behind by his predecessor, President-elect Barack Obama has his work cut out for him, four Ford School of Public Policy professors said dur- ing a panel discussion yesterday. The professors - Susan Waltz, Brian Jacob, Sheldon Danziger and Matthew Davis - spoke for 90 minutes yesterday before an almost-full Annenberg Audito- rium, discussing whatpolicy chal- lenges Obama will face at the start of his presidential term. Susan Collins, dean of the School of Pub- lic Policy, moderated the panel. Danziger, director of the Ford School's National Poverty Center, said Obama's strategy to tackle poverty was more promisingthan that of the Bush administration, which ignored "those at the bot- tom of the income distribution." Danziger added, though, that Obama's goals might be hard to realize because "the global eco- nomic crisis is so severe" Obama's proposed measures for reform include tax credits for low-income households, an increase tothenational minimum wage and transition programs for low-skilled workers. Danziger said Obama's initia- tives echo many of former Presi- dent Bill Clinton's policies in 1992. Then, like now, the econo- my and health care were among the nation's biggest concerns. Davis said Obama's health care plan, which would offer univer- sal coverage, could work, but might be unpopular. Creating a big Medicare program, he said, is "not appealing to the majority of the American people." Health care reform would have to be done in several steps, he said. Jacob, an expert on educa- tion policy, said "federal policies are inherently hard to pursue for education." He said he disagreed slightly with Obama's plan to make education more accessible, which involves giving tax cred- its for students who do a certain amount of community service. Jacob suggested direct loans might be a more effective way to reach this goal. Students in attendance said See OBAMA, Page 3A MAX COLLINS/LDaily Brian Wilson, the once-reclusive lead singer and songwriter of the Beach Boys, signed copies of his latest solo album, "That Old Lucky Sun," at the Borders bookstore on State Street yesterday afternoon. A photo from the Phoenix Mars Lander, which landed on the surface of Mars in May. University researchers helped design the mission and now are analyzing the data. WEATHER HI:56 TOMORROW LO: 38 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Teach yourself to cook, Part IV THETABLE.BLOGS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX NEWS............. Vol. CXIX, No. 51 SUDOKU........ @2008The Michigan Daily OPINION........ michigandoily.com .. . . . . . .2A SPO RT S ........ ........... ........... 5A ...............3A CLASSIFIEDS.................6A ... .........4A TH E B-SID E .........................1B Fe .a ,