After the move to online polling increased student participation
in the undergraduate student government elections in 2003, the
slight drop in voter turnout this year may indicate a return to the
old trend of decline.
In 2003, 24.9 percent of the students on campus voted, but this
year only 24.2 percent took the time to vote, according to the
statistics announced by the Elections Board Thursday evening.
“I think the voter turnout is pathetic. It means that 75
percent of the campus doesn’t even care about
elections,” said Michi Kono, an independent candidate for
general representative who did not garner enough votes to be in the
run-off elections next week.
Last year the Undergraduate Students Association Council began
using 24-hour online voting in elections, and voter turnout
increased for the first time after a four-year decline.
The process was further modified this year when council voted to
institute a limit on voting times and put restrictions on who can
campaign. Again, voter turnout began to decrease.
Some candidates pointed to the recent changes as the most likely
cause for the decrease in voter turnout.
“They have instituted restrictions on voting this year
““ the time was restricted and there was less
campaigning,” said Brian Neesby, a candidate for general
representative running for the Equal Access Coalition.
In addition to decreasing voter turnout, Neesby also asserted
that the amendment to the procedure may have affected the outcome
of the election as well, giving Students First! an advantage over
independent candidates.
In the past, candidates running for EAC have accused SF!
councilmembers of pushing for the new election procedure in order
to advance their slate’s campaign, Neesby said.
“Students First! has a very mobilized base. … You
restrict voting, you hurt everybody but Students First!,”
Neesby said.
Kono echoed a similar sentiment, saying that students running on
a slate have a definite advantage in the elections.
“As an independent standing in the middle, it’s hard
to draw people who are passionate enough to vote,” Kono
said.
But current SF! councilmembers pointed to various other factors
that may have contributed to the slight decrease.
“It might explain part (of it) … but it doesn’t
explain the whole thing,” said Matt Kaczmarek, current
external vice president and SF! campaign manager.
Anica McKesey, current USAC president, said the way some
students conducted their campaigns may have contributed to the
decrease, pointing to certain violations of the election code as
something that may have turned students away from elections.
Roy Samaan, chairman of the Elections Board, pointed to another
possible reason that voter turnout may have decreased this year,
asserting that it may not have been the result of any of the
particulars of this election cycle.
“Maybe there’s an upper threshold of people who are
going to vote,” Samaan said.
But despite the decrease from last year, Samaan did not express
disappointment at voter turnout.
“I’m decently satisfied; it wasn’t a huge drop
off,” Samaan said.