Freelance journalist living between Richmond and Norfolk, Va. Samples and resume can be viewed here. Mechelle’s work at VCU Mechelle’s work the Washington PostTumblr (3.0; @mechellehankerson)http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/9a963b8e54d9a0655f4c11dde69fa4fb/tumblr_mmkzdqdRYd1rey7q4o1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/9e998a49fc44d106c8581ee04813ebc1/tumblr_mmkzdqdRYd1rey7q4o2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Part one of a two-part series about complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act on campus at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.</p> <p>The full story can be viewed <a href="http://issuu.com/mechellehankerson/docs/sunshine_week_2013">here</a>.</p>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/50171028395http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/50171028395Sat, 11 May 2013 11:30:57 -0400Americans with DisabilitiesADAaccessiblityjournalismserieslong readsRichmondVirginia<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/f8d5ccc2c1b57ba519d37172b3163196/tumblr_mmkyz7qUkD1rey7q4o1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/e0653bb85fa9b8654ec4c3ac220c323f/tumblr_mmkyz7qUkD1rey7q4o2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/70cf430b78e3143803eaed6b3dedce3c/tumblr_mmkyz7qUkD1rey7q4o3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/93d804d525b74814a5f2f6358df4106a/tumblr_mmkyz7qUkD1rey7q4o4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Part of a Sunshine Week project completed in March 2013 at VCU.</p> <p>The full 69-page special feature (which includes the actual documents) can be viewed <a href="http://issuu.com/mechellehankerson/docs/sunshine_week_2013">here</a>.</p>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/50092860350http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/50092860350Fri, 10 May 2013 11:31:12 -0400The CTSpike LeeFOIAjournalismdronesstudent governmentNASAU.S. NavyVirginiaopen government<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md4ncq9pRU1rvm6bpo3_500.jpg"/><br/> Students and residents alike celebrated on one of Richmond's major road, Broad Street, after Obama's re-election was announced by national media<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md4ncq9pRU1rvm6bpo1_500.jpg"/><br/> Students celebrated the re-election of Barack Obama at VCU by storming the streets of Richmond.<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md4ncq9pRU1rvm6bpo2_500.jpg"/><br/> Richmond residents and VCU students gathered in Richmond's Monroe Park on election night.<br/><br/> <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/35214372356/all-photos-by-amber-lynn-taber-for-the">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>All photos by Amber-Lynn Taber for the <a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org">Commonwealth Times</a></em></p> <p>Even though Virginia wasn’t called in favor of President Barack Obama until after national media outlets began calling the election around midnight, students at <a href="http://www.vcu.edu">Virginia Commonwealth University</a> in Richmond, Va. took to the streets to celebrate Obama’s second term.</p> <p>The crowd marched in a small circle in the center of VCU’s campus with the cooperation of Richmond police, who blocked off traffic to allow the crowd to move safely. </p> <p>Richmond and its surrounding counties (like Henrico, which <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/06/the-7-most-important-counties-in-election-2012/">The Post called one of the seven most important counties in the country to win</a>) went to Obama, although Republican stronghold Chesterfield County went for Mitt Romney.</p> <p>Richmond city went overwhelmingly for Obama: the Virginia State Board of Elections reports that 77.03 percent of the vote there went for Obama while the remaining 21.4 percent went for Romney.</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/35223814902http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/35223814902Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:50:27 -0500<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md2jf58x4o1rvm6bpo2_500.jpg"/><br/> Photo by Mechelle Hankerson<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md2jf58x4o1rvm6bpo3_500.jpg"/><br/> Photo by Mechelle Hankerson<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md2jf58x4o1rvm6bpo4_500.jpg"/><br/> Photo by Mechelle Hankerson<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md2jf58x4o1rvm6bpo1_500.jpg"/><br/> Photo by Mechelle Hankerson<br/><br/> <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/35126422354/looks-like-virginia-commonwealth-universitys">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Looks like <a href="http://www.vcu.edu">Virginia Commonwealth University’s</a> chapter of <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/young-americans/students">Students for Obama</a> got to campus early to do some last-minute campaigning in the middle of campus.</p> <p>Many of VCU’s students who live on or close to campus are split between three districts, but the school is providing shuttle buses to and from polling locations until 5 p.m. today.</p> <p>Read more about VCU students’ districting <a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org/2012/05/18/dispersedamongdistrictsstudentspassonlocalelections/">here.</a></p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/35130318769http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/35130318769Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:58:58 -0500<a href="http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Long-lines-at-precincts-in-Virginia-some-glitches-177469281.html">Henrico County, Va. reports early-morning outages at polling places</a>: <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/35129330904/henrico-county-va-reports-early-morning-outages-at">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p><span>Voting has been underway in Virginia since 6 a.m. this morning with minimal reports of major interruptions.</span></p> <p><span>In Eastern Henrico, at least three polling places reported power outages that disrupted voting, but Dominion Power restored power to all locations by 7:41 a.m.</span></p> <p><span>Newport News reported malfunctioning ballot counting machines at one polling location</span></p> <p><span>The 12 reported about the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/35077108635/the-post-profiled-canvassing-efforts-in-henrico#notes">importance of Henrico County a few days ago</a>.</span></p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/35130282085http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/35130282085Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:58:09 -0500<a href="http://thecollegianur.com/2012/10/31/richmond-students-decide-not-to-vote/29937/">Some college students choose not to vote this year</a>: <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34859999744/some-college-students-choose-not-to-vote-this-year">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>With all eyes on battleground states like Virginia, outreach and advocacy groups have been reminding voters how important it is to get out and vote on Election Day. </p> <p>And while this election is the first for many college-aged students, University of Richmond’s Scott Himelein reports for <a href="http://thecollegianur.com/">The Collegian</a> that there are some students who just aren’t ready — or just don’t feel like — voting.</p> <blockquote> <p>“Young people do not seem to have the same enthusiasm they did four years ago,” said Ernest McGowen, a University of Richmond political science professor. “I do not think this trend is particular to young people. Most Democrat and Independent voters in Virginia — more young people tend to be Democrat — are registering lower enthusiasm for the race, likely because the overall mood of the country is down.”</p> </blockquote> <p>Visits from the candidates over the coming weekend (there are five scheduled visits between both camps before Monday) are still happening in the few days before the election in an effort to mobilize some voters and sway undecided voters in their favor.</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34949160345http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34949160345Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:46:52 -0400<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NlFHrLeeJIU?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34796153400/republican-presidential-candidate-mitt-romney">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released an ad today in Virginia that focused on small businesses by telling the story of Bill’s BBQ, a recently closed local restaurant in Richmond, Va.</p> <p>This isn’t Romney’s first hyper-local campaign effort in the state. In September, <a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/32480052602/photo-courtesy-of-the-washington-post-republican#notes">Romney distributed mailers about Lyme disease</a> to residents in Northern Virginia.</p> <p>With five days to go before the election, Romney is trying to hold on to his two-point lead over President Barack Obama in the state. <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/">Rasmussen Reports</a> show that Romney is holding at 49 percent and Obama is at 47 percent. </p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34834012303http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34834012303Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:01:13 -0400<iframe width="400" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zc8hbSM1zVo?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34648009531/the-killers-read-my-mind-from-2006s-sams">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal"><em>The Killers, “Read My Mind” from 2006’s “Sam’s Town” released by The Island Def Jam Music Group</em></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Probably didn’t peg Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as a fan of The Killers, did you? Or how about President Barack Obama as a No Doubt fan?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Romney’s campaign playlist - the music that plays before his appearances and other campaign events- has a variety of genres and artists including a handful of songs from The Killers, whose vocalist, Brandon Flowers, is Mormon like Romney.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/authors/elspeth-reeve/"> The Atlantic Wire’s Elspeth Reeve</a> says campaign playlists have two main purposes:</p> <blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The first is that it’s just a bunch of songs that have a lively enough beat to keep the crowd energetic and happy. The second is that every single artist and tune is selected to subtly communicate messages about the candidate and his policies.</span><span> </span></p> </blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal">Romney’s playlist features some artists who have endorsed him, most notably, Kid Rock. ’80s rocker Meatloaf recently endorsed Romney, but none of his songs have been added to the Romney/Ryan campaign playlist yet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Obama’s playlist makes an obvious play toward younger voters, with No Doubt’s “Different People” from 1995’s “Tragic Kingdom” album as well as Florence and the Machine and the Arcade Fire.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bruce Springsteen, who recently endorsed Obama and performed a free concert in Charlottesville in support of the president, is also included.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can listen and see a complete list of Obama’s playlist <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/barackobama/playlist/6J9kgSvipjimfDLYTsCOAv">here on Spotify</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can also check out Romney’s Spotify playlist <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/mittromney/playlist/5QrwBrWOXSWWdWilN98BPS">here</a>.</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34725313565http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34725313565Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:38:35 -0400“It shouldn’t be news that somebody who wants to go into the Senate is willing to start from a position of openness and dialogue. We can’t start with non-negotiable.”<br/><br/> - <em>Virginia U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine (D) during a debate against Republican candidate George Allen on Thursday, Sept. 20 in McLean, Va. Kaine and Allen both tried to stay as bipartisan as possible during the debate, focusing on decreasing the national debt while avoiding cuts to the military budget. (via <a href="http://www2.timesdispatch.com">The Richmond Times-Dispatch</a>)</em>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639768946http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639768946Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:02:57 -0400<iframe src="//www.tumblr.com/video/mechellehankerson/34639713352/400" id="tumblr_video_iframe_34639713352" class="tumblr_video_iframe" width="400" height="225" style="display:block;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;" allowTransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33383579729/if-theres-a-way-to-cut-down-the-costs-on" class="tumblr_blog">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><em>“If there’s a way to cut down the costs on spending but still have financial aid, that’d be perfect for me. But so far I think Obama’s approach is more favorable for me.”</em></p> <p class="MsoNormal">— Harrison Sun, junior chemistry major at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sun and 14 other VCU students are participating in a special class this semester through the university’s Honors College and the School of Mass Communications. Students are following the state’s high-profile Senate race between George Allen (R) and Tim Kaine (D), as well as the presidential election. The group has also begun efforts to register any last-minute voters on campus. <a href="http://wp.vcu.edu/socialmediapolitics/%20">VCU Votes</a> can be found on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/VCUvotes?ref=stream">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/VCUvotes">Twitter</a>.</p> <p><strong>What issue matters most to you in the upcoming election? </strong><a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/tagged/Voter-Voices">Tell us here on The 12</a>, or tweet your response using #VoterVoices</p> <p><a class="twitter-hashtag-button" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?button_hashtag=VoterVoices" data-size="large" data-url="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33322981279/what-issue-matters-most-to-you-in-the-upcoming">Tweet #VoterVoices</a></p> <p>You can also read up on the candidates positions and endorse their statements using the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/issueengine/issueengine.html">Washington Post’s Issue Engine</a>. </p> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[<![CDATA[// <![CDATA[ !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); // ]]]]]]><![CDATA[><![CDATA[>]]]]><![CDATA[>]]></script></blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639713352http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639713352Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:01:21 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc5hwh098S1rvm6bpo1_r1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34126739786/president-barack-obamas-blue-and-candidate-mitt">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal"><em>President Barack Obama’s (blue) and candidate Mitt Romney’s (red) visits to college campuses since August 2012. An interactive version of the map can be viewed <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201783664769212488628.0004cc6c7650bd92b4e23&msa=0&ll=37.592472,-77.915039&spn=2.520009,4.938354">here</a>.</em></p> <p class="MsoNormal">President Barack Obama visited George Mason University in Fairfax for the second time this month on Friday to campaign before the Nov. 6 election.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> It might seem Obama spends a lot of time on college campuses, but <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2012-presidential-campaign-visits/?tid=rr_mod">The Washington Post’s campaign stops map</a> show that Obama has only visited one more Virginia college campus than his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney.  Including appearances from their wives and running mates, the Romney and Obama campaigns have visited the same number of colleges since August.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">While they may be tied on campuses, the Romney campaign (counting appearances from each candidate’s running mate) has visited Virginia five more times than the Obama campaign.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">First Lady Michelle Obama has Romney’s wife, Ann, beat in Virginia. Since August, Michelle has visited the state 10 times while Ann has only visited five times.  Most of Ann’s events are private fundraisers. Michelle spoke at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg on Sept. 13 and earlier in the year, on <a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org/2012/01/12/first-lady-announces-at-vcu-initative-for-returning-troops/">Jan. 11, she visited Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond</a> with Jill Biden. Later, on May 5, <a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org/2012/05/06/obama-visits-vcu-advocates-moving-forward/">Obama himself made an appearance at the university.</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, has not visited any college campuses, but he did visit an elementary school in Wytheville on Aug. 14. Two months before, he spoke at Tallwood High School’s graduation in Virginia Beach. Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan visited Christopher Newport University in Newport News on Sept. 18, which <a href="http://www.thecaptainslog.org/blog/2012/10/03/cnu-changes-protest-policy/">prompted the school to take a second look at their demonstration policy</a>.</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639633984http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639633984Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:59:40 -0400<iframe src="//www.tumblr.com/video/mechellehankerson/34639613072/400" id="tumblr_video_iframe_34639613072" class="tumblr_video_iframe" width="400" height="225" style="display:block;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;" allowTransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34372179709/democratic-candidate-for-u-s-senate-tim-kaine" class="tumblr_blog">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Kaine introduced President Barack Obama Thursday in Richmond by emphasizing the importance of Virginians’ votes in the upcoming election.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Even a little bit more than four years ago, presidential candidates, they didn’t come to Virginia,” Kaine said to the estimated crowd of 15,000. “Republican candidates … didn’t need to come to Virginia and Democratic candidates said, ‘Why bother coming to Virginia?’ President Obama changed that in 2008 and he’s changed it so that now that everybody that’s running for president of any party has got to come because Virginians are important.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Virginia was one of the stops on the President’s 48-hour blitz trip across six swing states with a stop in Chicago to cast his advance ballot. On Wednesday, Obama visited Iowa, Colorado and Nevada. Today, the president came to Virginia from Florida and still had stops in Ohio in Illinois before the two-day tour was over.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The state will also host appearances from Gov. Mitt Romney and both candidates’ runningmates <a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34250071469/this-fight-is-going-to-be-fierce-all-the-way-to">in the next few days. </a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em>See The 12’s coverage of Obama’s visit to Colorado during his two-day tour <a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34293422139/barack-obama-spoke-to-a-crowd-of-16-000-in-denver">here</a>.</em></p></blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639613072http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34639613072Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:58:59 -0400<a href="http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/rtd-opinion/2012/oct/28/tdopin01-romney-promises-hope-for-recovery-ar-2314814/">Richmond Times-Dispatch endorses Mitt Romney</a>: <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34542230214/richmond-times-dispatch-endorses-mitt-romney">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Richmond, Va.’s daily newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, published an endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney Oct. 28. The piece said President Barack Obama has fallen short on promises he made during his campaign and that the United States needs someone who has proven himself to be successful:</p> <blockquote> <p>During the debates, the president’s personal attacks on his opponent were, most often, met with strong but dignified answers. The president showed himself to be the less presidential of the two contenders. As a result, we know now who is better suited to lead a great but troubled nation.</p> <p>Mitt Romney has succeeded as a family man, governor, entrepreneur, Olympic leader. He is a man of character, a problem-solver, a turnaround specialist. He has earned our enthusiastic endorsement. America needs President Romney.</p> </blockquote> <p>The Times-Dispatch is just one of many newspapers around the country endorsing candidates. Read about the Tampa Bay Times endorsing President Obama <a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34095018451/tampa-bay-times-endorses-obama">here.</a></p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34542866642http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34542866642Sun, 28 Oct 2012 23:40:53 -0400<a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34539475403/sandy-thwarts-big-weekend-in-virginia-campaigns">The 12 | Tumbling the 2012 campaign: Sandy thwarts big weekend in Virginia campaigns</a>: <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/34539475403/sandy-thwarts-big-weekend-in-virginia-campaigns">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal">This past weekend was going to be a big one for Virginia: visits from both presidential candidates and running mates were scheduled around the state. At the same time, Hurricane Sandy was also planning for a big weekend.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As a safety precaution, weekend appearances by Republican presidential…</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34542852407http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34542852407Sun, 28 Oct 2012 23:40:40 -0400“This fight is going to be fierce all the way to Nov. 6 and neither side will concede Virginia. Obama doesn’t need Virginia, but wants it to deprive Romney of an easy path to 270.”<br/><br/> - <em><p><span>University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato about what both presidential campaigns need to achieve in the last 13 days before the election. The candidates seem to agree, with appearances from the candidates and their running mates all happening in the next week in Virginia. </span></p> <p><span>Tomorrow, </span><span>Paul Ryan will campaign in Bristol and Charlottesville while Barack Obama visits Richmond. On Saturday, Jill and Joe Biden will visit Virginia Beach and Lynchburg with their son, Beau. On Sunday, Romney will visit Richmond, Prince William County and Virginia Beach. (via <a href="http://www2.timesdispatch.com">Richmond Times-Dispatch</a>)</span></p></em>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34258565231http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/34258565231Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:03:30 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3qseWbHU1rvm6bpo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33854019269/illustration-by-samantha-wittwer-at-the">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Illustration by Samantha Wittwer at The Commonwealth Times</em></p> <p>Virginia Commonwealth University’s student newspaper, <a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org">The Commonwealth Times</a>, breaks down Virginia’s new voter ID laws for student voters.</p> <p>The Virginia State Board of Elections also has a <a href="http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/CollegeStudents.html">special page</a> dedicated to helping college students prepare for voting on Nov. 6.</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33916088627http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33916088627Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:00:45 -0400<a href="http://blogs.nbc12.com/decisionvirginia/2012/10/arr.html">Pennsylvania man arrested in Virginia for throwing out voter registration forms</a>: <p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33912680543/pennsylvania-man-arrested-in-virginia-for-throwing-out">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>A Harrisonburg, Pa. man was arrested Thursday for eight felony charges and five misdemeanors related to throwing out completed voter registration forms. Colin Small worked for Pinpoint, a company that was hired by the Republican Party of Virginia to help register voters.</p> <p>The Republican Party of Virginia’s chairman Pat Mullins released a statement following the arrest, saying they “will not tolerate any action by any person that could threaten the integrity of our electoral process.”</p> <p>The arrest comes less than a week after Virginia’s voter registration deadline, which was Oct. 15.</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33915993034http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33915993034Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:59:15 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbz30ukbOY1rvm6bpo1_r1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33774628799/photo-and-story-by-craig-zirpolo-for-vcus-the">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Photo and story by Craig Zirpolo for VCU’s <a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org">The Commonwealth Times</a></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Libertarian presidential candidate dares VCU students to ‘waste a vote’ on him</strong></p> <p><span>As recent debates clarified the choice between the two major candidates to voters, third-party candidates have struggled for inclusion. Though the American Civil Liberties Union and other interest groups and as politicians endorse his presidential campaign, former New Mexico governor and current Libertarian candidate for president Gary Johnson spent much of his campaign stop at Virginia Commonwealth University on Oct. 11 simply asking students to inform their peers about a third choice on Election Day.</span></p> <p><span>“I want you all to know that I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I could do a really good job as President of the United States,” Johnson said to open his speech to a crowd of about 200 students and Richmond residents on Oct 11.</span></p> <p><span>Johnson’s Richmond visit marked his first official appearance in Virginia during his 2012 presidential campaign. After making a stop at the Maggie Walker Governor’s School, he gave a brief speech and answered questions concerning his views on Syria, the Second Amendment, drone strikes and Israel. Afterward, he met with his supporters for pictures and autographs.</span></p> <p><em><span>Read more about Gary Johnson from The 12 <a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33363055436/johnson-receives-warm-welcome-from-unm#notes">here.</a></span></em></p> <p><a href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/33774628799/photo-and-story-by-craig-zirpolo-for-vcus-the">Read More</a></p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33781080585http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33781080585Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:55:13 -0400<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb2wmbI0QB1rvm6bpo1_500.gif"/><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://the12.washingtonpost.com/post/32480052602/photo-courtesy-of-the-washington-post-republican">2012swingstates</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/09/28/romney-vows-to-take-on-virginias-lyme-disease-epidemic/">The Washington Post</a></em></p> <p>Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants Northern Virginians to know he has their best interests at heart — even seemingly small ones, like Virginia’s supposed Lyme Disease epidemic.</p> <p>Romney is distributing literature that promises he will work to curb incidences of the disease, which generally affects less than 1,000 Virginians a year. In Northern Virginia, though, the issue is of high importance: Loudoun County officials declared this past May was Lyme Disease Awareness month. (via <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">The Washington Post</a>)</p> </blockquote>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33758799456http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33758799456Wed, 17 Oct 2012 01:04:30 -0400<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc0s4po2Q41qiwbnho1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://vcuawesome.tumblr.com/post/33756911301/want-the-latest-campus-news-vcus-student">vcuawesome</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Want the latest campus news? VCU’s student newspaper, The Commonwealth Times is there for you. <br/><br/></p> <ul><li><a href="http://www.commonwealthtimes.org/">The Commonwealth Times website</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/commonwealthtimes">CommonwealthTimes on Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/theCT">TheCT on Twitter</a></li> </ul></blockquote> <p>Thanks for the shoutout!</p>http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33757499730http://mechellehankerson.tumblr.com/post/33757499730Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:34:16 -0400