The Technician has been running for nearly 100 years, with the first issue published on Feb. 1, 1920. Throughout the years, NC State has seen many different events, from great successes to terrible tragedies and everything in-between. Time, and language itself, has changed over the years but for almost every major event, the Technician was there.

With early voting starting on Thursday, it is time for North Carolinians to make their voice heard in the governor’s race, the senate race and of course, the presidency. Before you cast your ballot, check out how the Technician has covered races in years past.

FDR v. Willkie (1940)

The 1940 election was significant for many reasons. Franklin D. Roosevelt, running for an unprecedented third consecutive term in pre-22nd Amendment world, was up against New York businessman and Republican candidate, Wendell Willkie, on what would become the eve of World War II.

 On Nov. 1, 1940, three days before the election, the Technician ran an article with the headline “Neutrality Main Issue As Election Day Nears.” The article’s second paragraph read as follows: “Coming in the midst of one of the gravest crisis in the history of the world, the election will be watched carefully by the rulers of both hemispheres, for upon the outcome of this election, the fate of the world, as well as of the nation, may well depend.” 

The article would go on to discuss both candidates’ opinions on the New Deal, absentee voting and the nation’s security.

Kennedy v. Nixon (1960)

The 1960 election was an election of firsts. It was the first election where an incumbent president (Eisenhower) could not run for a third term because of the 22nd Amendment. It was also the first election with all 50 states because of the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. 

In the Nov. 3, 1960, issue of the Technician, a straw poll was run to judge the college’s candidate. The options for president and vice president were, in order, “Kennedy-Johnson,” “Nixon-Lodge,” “Other,” and “Undecided,” along with an article titled “Vote Today.” At the top of the ballot read the following question:

“If you were eligible to vote in the general election, for whom would you vote?”

This article ran at a time when most college students could not vote. It wasn’t until the passing of the 26th Amendment in 1971, which changed the voting age in the U.S. from 21 to 18, that most college students could have had any real say in the election. The results of the poll were printed on Nov. 8, 1960, one day before the election, along with an article titled “Nixon, Gavin Win Straw Vote.” As the title suggests, NC State students voted for Nixon-Lodge, 1122 votes to Kennedy-Johnson’s 1081 votes. “Gavin” refers to Robert Gavin, the Republican candidate in that election’s North Carolina gubernatorial race. 

Carter v. Reagan (1980)

In the wake of the Iran hostage crisis, a gas crisis, a financial slump and the return of the Panama Canal, the 1980 election became an unprecedented landslide, with Reagan winning 489 electoral votes to Carter’s 49.

On Nov. 5, 1980, the Technician simply ran the title, “Reagan Wins” above the normal Technician masthead. 

Bush v. Gore (2000)

The most controversial election of the century (so far), 2000 gave 2016 a run for its money. With an election so split, it triggered a mandatory recount in Florida and later, a Supreme Court decision. On Nov. 7, 2000, the Technician ran the article “Voter Guide,” which outlined George W. Bush, Al Gore and Ralph Nader’s stances on six issues: abortion, death penalty, education, defense, prescription drugs and taxes.

In an editorial, the following issue, the Technician ran an editorial called “Man of the People,” discussing the outcome of the election. Under the headline, it asked this question:

“Although legal, is it fair for a president to win the White House without winning the popular vote?” 

It continued.

“The Electoral College is a troubling, burdensome anachronism in this direct age of information media. But it — not the American people — also decides the presidency.”

When voting this year, remember that, while this election may seem troubling, it is not the first and hopefully not the last.