ASPSU elections kick off

Both student body presidential hopefuls are not only talking about the importance of voting in this week’s ASPSU elections with their words, but they are speaking volumes with their attire.

Presidential candidate Hannah Fisher shaved the word “vote” in her hair and presidential candidate Christian Aniciete and his slate members are sporting bright yellow shirts as both slates set out to campaign in the South Park Blocks this week.

Candidates are trying to encourage students to vote in the annual ASPSU elections, which started yesterday and will end Saturday, April 26 at 8 p.m. Online only voting for the elections is held through www.banweb.pdx.edu.

“It’s hard to believe it’s coming to an end,” Aniciete said. “It’s been a fun, amazing and epic time. So right now, I’m feeling sort of a mixture of emotions.”

Fisher and Aniciete have been campaigning for weeks, making their presence felt on campus by speaking with students in the Park Blocks and participating in several candidate debates.

“This is the week to vote, so it’s all about getting people to vote,” Fisher said. “We’re going to be talking to students and getting them to vote.”

Both presidential candidates plan to continue campaigning throughout the week.

Fisher, who is running with vice presidential candidate Kyle Cady on the “Bridge the Gap” slate, said reaching students directly is the best form of campaigning. Over the past few weeks, she said her slate has received cards with contact information from about 1,000 people and members have given pamphlets to, and spoken with, over 3,000 individuals.

“I always say you start your term in office during your campaign,” Fisher said. “We have spent hours, upon hours, upon hours on making preparations for this campaign.”

Aniciete, running with vice presidential candidate Karla Hernandez on the “Empowerment” slate, said it is vital to speak with students directly. While Aniciete said having a presence in the Park Blocks is important, he also visited about 15 classrooms to speak with students about his platform and reasons to vote.

During this election week, Aniciete said he will “come out in force,” with his slate, campaigning in the Park Blocks and continuing to give class presentations about the elections.

“As long as people know the elections are coming up, that’s important to me,” Aniciete said. “But I also want them to know that we are the better candidates.”

In addition to the candidates canvassing throughout the week, volunteers from the ASPSU Elections Board will be present from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Thursday, in the Park Blocks to remind students to vote.

Taylor Smith is volunteering to help register students to participate in the upcoming Oregon primary, as well as to vote in the student elections. Smith said the volunteer effort is completely neutral and the volunteers are not endorsing one candidate or the other.

Only 1,909 out of around 25,000 enrolled PSU students voted in the ASPSU elections last year. Both presidential hopefuls and Smith hope that figure increases this year.

“If we’re looking to influence people, student elections is the way,” Smith said. “To not have people vote is disgraceful.”