The start of the weeklong 2004 Graduate Student Association
general elections will begin today at noon.
All enrolled UCLA graduate and professional students have the
opportunity to log on to the MyUCLA Web site and decide among the
10 candidates.
By logging on, graduate students, who can vote 24 hours a day
until Wednesday April 28, will be directed to an electronic ballot
with the list of all the candidates’ names.
The director of elections, Golnaz Tabibnia, has been working
closely with the MyUCLA Web site office to create the electronic
ballot for this year’s election.
On the ballot, students can choose between several links leading
to the candidates’ statements of intent and relevant
experience, and a link for candidate endorsements. Information
about the candidates is also available on the GSA Web site.
In previous years, elections were always carried out by tabling
on various spots on campus with a physical ballot; but for many
years, the voter turnout percentage was below the 10 percent
threshold needed to pass any referendums on the ballot.
It was not until 2001 that GSA elections were conducted online
in hopes of increasing turnout.
“Up until three years ago GSA was having a hard time
getting people to vote … In the 2001 elections (GSA) got over 10
percent of students to vote,” Tabibnia said.
The recent peak of voter turnout for GSA has been 15.5 percent,
and this year the association aims to reach at least 15
percent.
The low voter turnout percentage in previous years could be the
result of many graduate students being unaware of GSA issues,
agendas and activities.
“We have several candidates that petitioned to be in the
ballot, but they don’t know about the structure of GSA and
its different functions, which is fine ““ but it is reflective
of the fact that many students don’t know what GSA is,”
Tabibnia said.
Jeff Hansen, a doctoral student in psychology, was unaware GSA
elections were taking place this week.
“Most graduate students are probably too wrapped up in
their own work to worry about this … I mean we probably should be
worried but we have bigger stuff to worry about,” Hansen
said.
Tabibnia is optimistic that more students will vote this year
than in previous years partly because GSA has had more visibility,
she said.
Haig Hovsepian, current vice president of external affairs,
encourages graduate students to get involved with GSA by
voting.
“It’s a chance for the student body to show that
they care about who they have as officers … but voting
isn’t enough; they have to be active throughout the year as
graduate students within their department and academic
councils,” Hovsepian said.
This year’s elections originally started out with 12
candidates, but only 10 remain.
“I encourage them to apply for these appointed positions,
so that they can gain some experience with GSA and be better
prepared to serve as an officer in future years,” Tabibnia
said.
The elections board, which consists of 13 representatives from
the 13 different academic councils, is in charge of certifying the
votes, which will be released to the public May 3 on the GSA Web
site.