Happy Election Day!

Today’s weather forecast is predicting mainly sunny with a few clouds in the afternoon with a high of 54 degrees and a low of 39 degrees.

FINAL: MSU women’s basketball blows out Delaware State in season opener

In its 50th season opener, the MSU women’s basketball team dominated the Delaware State Hornets 86-37 yesterday afternoon.

It was Spartans School Day as local students filled the stands to watch the squad’s home opener.

MSU scored the first points of the game and never looked back. The Spartans did not trail once throughout the four quarters.

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Suzy Merchant said that the team has to come out of the gates quicker as the season progresses as they face better competition.

The defense was hounding the Hornets all afternoon long, forcing 26 turnovers and only allowing Delaware State to shoot 30 percent from the field.

Junior guard Gabby Elliot led all scorers with 14 points, with 11 of her points coming from inside the arc. She also was tied with graduate student guard Stephanie Visscher for the team lead in rebounds with six and led the team in free throws attempted with seven.

Three other players finished with double digits in the scoring column as senior guard Moira Joiner finished with 13, Visscher had 12 and senior forward Taiyier Parks put up 10.

With Joiner and Visscher playing big minutes and performing off the bench, Merchant said players will get opportunities based on how they play in practice.

MSU starts the season out 1-0 with the win and will face Purdue Fort Wayne at home on Thursday night at 7 p.m.

East Lansing residents and out-of-state MSU students face absentee voting challenges

East Lansing residents and out-of-state Michigan State University students say they haven’t received their absentee ballots months after requesting them.

Political science sophomore and first-time voter Jeanette Dompreh is not registered to vote in Michigan so she requested an absentee ballot from her hometown — Beverly, Ill.

That was a month ago and Dompreh’s ballot hasn’t arrived yet.

“I’m not sure what I’m gonna do honestly,” Dompreh said. “I’m just worried that it’s not gonna get here in time … I don’t want to miss out on (the election) just because I didn’t get the ballot in time.”

Dompreh said the process to vote, particularly for young people, is inaccessible.

Somer Sodeman, a journalism sophomore at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is originally from East Lansing. She requested an absentee ballot in late September and, like Dompreh, hasn’t gotten her ballot yet.

The U.S. Postal Service advises against mailing absentee ballots later than a week before the election but in Michigan, residents are allowed to drop off their absentee ballots in person or invalidate it at the polling station and cast their vote there.

Sodeman said it isn’t possible for her to come back to Michigan to vote because she has classes to attend.

East Lansing resident and Montana State University student Ella Hogan didn’t receive her absentee ballot either.

Hogan called the East Lansing City Clerk’s Office but was told there was nothing that could be done and that Hogan must now vote in-person.

However, coming back to Michigan to vote is expensive, she said.

Now, Hogan can’t do anything about the results of the elections – which she said is scary.

“You don’t have to say in it at all, which I should,” Hogan said.

The midterm elections will take place today and polls will close at 8 p.m.

‘It’s On Us’: MSU’s week of action on stalking prevention education, community awareness

“It’s On Us” Week of Action will be held from Nov. 7 through Nov. 11 to activate the community’s awareness and prevention education programs on stalking.

The Obama administration initiated “It’s On Us” to open the conversation to take a stand against sexual violence on campus communities in 2014. At MSU, the week was a student-led initiative through various registered student organizations and coordinated by the Prevention Outreach and Education Department, or POE.

Anna Nasset, international speaker and stalking survivor, will provide the keynote address on Nov. 10. The event is open to everyone from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Brody Hall in 112 Auditorium.

Events throughout this week include…

– Social media campaign: Today on Instagram @MSUPOE, share your thoughts and engage with others on stalking prevention

– Let’s Talk About It: Tomorrow from 7 to 8 p.m. at McDonel Hall Kiva, join the culture of dating practices and healthy relationship conversations.

“It’s On Us” events were sponsored and partnered with MSU Safe Place, MSU Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention, MSU Residence Hall Association and the POE Department.

Event information for this week can be found on Instagram @MSUPOE

Based on original reporting by Nick Lundberg, Wajeeha Kamal and Ashley Zhou.