In following common practice among most legacy media outlets like the Los Angeles Times or the Orange County Register, The Accolade’s 17-member editorial board has come up with its own endorsements for next month’s local, state and national elections on Tuesday, Nov. 5. We based our discussion on what this Spotlight issue covered, which ranged from the race for the next U.S. president to the state proposition to increase the minimum wage to the district’s bond measure to help fund school facility upgrades. For those who are eligible to cast their ballots, we hope you can use this as a guide to consider before you finalize your votes.
U.S. PRESIDENT: 9 Kamala Harris (Democrat); 0 Donald Trump (Republican); 8 declined to cast a ballot.
“The lesser of the two evils” has become an increasingly common phrase among voters this election season as a reference to these candidates.
Whether out of embarrassment or a lack of understanding, eight board members confirmed this hesitancy and declined to vote on this matter.
For the nine of us, we support Harris because she will continue President Joe Biden’s legacy in ensuring that public schools continue to receive federal funding and support. We also agree with the Biden-Harris emphasis on finding ways to establish college loan forgiveness programs.
The public education system has a higher possibility of being funded and overseen correctly with the democratic candidate in office.
Finally, a majority of us agree that Harris’ priorities lie in the interests of the people, highlighting freedom to one’s body with her pro-choice endeavors. Her progressive mindset undoubtedly sets her apart.
Women are undeniably the face of the future, and as the first female president of the U.S., Harris would be able to further this idea as only 26 countries held a female in office.
Equality and liberation cannot be emphasized to the same degree under the typical white, male president. While at one time, this everyday man represented the majority of the nation, the U.S. has since progressed and needs a leader as diverse to accurately represent the voice of its constituents.
STATE PROPOSITION 32: 11 YES; 6 NO.
With record-breaking costs nationwide, the majority of us concur that minimum wage should match the increase seen in the economy.
As the majority of employees seen manning the minimum-wage jobs are young adults and high schoolers, a higher paying job will allow for them to cover the high prices of gas and other accommodations — which are out of reach given the current lowest salary.
BOND MEASURE L: 4 YES; 13 NO.
The proposed updates toward school facilities will likely not be in the favor of deserving academic programs, but instead to athletic facilities that have already had money invested into them within recent years.
We believe that the emphasis on athletics will only continue to grow if this measure is passed. In a school setting, this will leave underrepresented programs to continue their fruitless work in the shadows of the bigger groups.
The Accolade Editorial Board is made up of the top editors and section editors on the 2024-2025 staff with the guidance of adviser Tommy Li. If you have a question about the board’s decision or an issue for the board to discuss and write about, please send an email to [email protected].
