As President Barack Obama won re-election for 2012, IU Southeast brought Election Day to a local level by hosting an Election Watch Party on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in University Center North. More than 30 students attended the event, which included members of the College Democrats and College Republicans and faculty members. Election coverage was shown on projection screens, and several students brought their own laptops to keep up- to-date with the incoming results.

The campaign trails of both presidential candidates have left many citizens informed on who to vote for come Election Day, but few of them are aware of various voting laws pertaining to each state. Because voting laws differ from state to state, problems can arise from an ill-informed public, causing their voices to go unheard due to lack of consistency. Much of this confusion comes from the fact that individual states have the ability to enforce their own voting laws. While federal voting laws, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, regulate equality and convenience, state laws make up most conditions for voting.

IU Southeast took center stage on Oct. 23 by serving as the location for a second debate between Indiana Senatorial candidates. Hosted by the Indiana Debate Commission, the event took place in the Ogle Center, where nearly 50 TV and radio stations broadcast a live discussion between Democrat Joe Donnelly, Libertarian Andrew Horning and Republican Richard Mourdock. However, limited seating at the debate caused a low amount of attendance for the IUS community.

Politically-affiliated campus groups hosted a voter registration drive to give students a chance to participate in the 2012 local and national elections. The event took place in the Hoosier Room on Oct. 1 and 8. The College Democrats sponsored the registration drive along with the ONE organization. College Republicans and the IUS Civil Liberties Union also had tables at the event.