Voter turnout for the 2003 A.S. elections is predicted to fall short of last year’s turnout due to a lack of student interest and a high number of candidates running unopposed.
“”I am going to expect [voter turnout] unfortunately to be a little less than last year,”” said A.S. elections manager Robin Shelton.
In last year’s election, 4,750 students, or 27.6 percent of the student body, voted. This was up from about 3,700 students, or 24 percent, that turned out for the 2001 election.
“”Because we had the athletics referendum last year and all the commissioners running unopposed this year, the interest to vote or the need to vote isn’t as high as it was last year,”” Shelton said.
The 2002 election had an unusually high voter turnout, which many attributed to the athletic referendum that was on the ballot, which required 3,700 students to vote in order for it to pass. In addition, last year there was a large number of highly contested positions, which cannot be said for this year’s election.
Six of the eight A.S. commissioner positions have candidates running unopposed this year, bringing the number of uncontested races to seven out of a total of 12 A.S. Council positions.
Despite a consistently low voter turnout and the high number of unopposed candidates this year, many students still feel a desire to come out and vote.
“”I feel that it is important to leave the school in good hands,”” said senior Nadeem Rajani, while at the same time expressing his disappointment in the low number of contested races. “”I like the referendum where they have a certain amount of positions be elected by the council itself. I think that it’s a good idea. It’s just kind of worthless to have all this clutter around campus, wasting money for people that aren’t even going to be opposed.””
Rajani was referring to a referendum on this year’s ballot, which, if passed, would change the A.S. commissioners from elected to A.S. Council-appointed positions.
Rajani is part of a small minority of students who have decided to take an interest in the A.S. elections. As history has shown, a vast majority of students will choose not to vote in the A.S. elections.
“”I don’t really care. I am not very involved in the school,”” said junior Karina Amezcua. Amezcua expressed the sentiments of many students who do not feel affected one way or the other in regard to the outcome of the election.
Such student apathy toward the election is the main focus of one A.S. presidential candidate.
“”If I am not elected, I don’t care. You don’t have to vote for me,”” said New Students First of the Unity Action Parking Wave Slate candidate Brian Uiga at the A.S. presidential debate on April 3. “”As long as you vote, I win.””
Voting will continue all this week at a voting booth on Library Walk, as well as online at StudentLink, until 4 p.m. on April 11.