Now that the ASPSU election is over for the year, many are still surprised to find that the election even occurred at all. Many mistakes were made in this election; we now have the opportunity to learn from them and correct the process for next year.
One major problem that should have been addressed before the election started was the lack of exposure for voting. This election continued the bad habit of being a secret event. Once the actual dates for the elections were established—only days before it occurred—students found voting stations, in some cases, by pure luck alone. Although it was possible to vote online, very little effort was made to notify students about this option, leaving most in the dark.
Simply telling students to vote is not enough. Providing information on where, when and who is also imperative. Due to lack of competition in several of the races, candidates stated that they did not feel a need to campaign because their victory was inevitable. A table in the Academic Student Recreation Center and chalk messages on blackboards in classrooms were two observed methods used to reach students. These complacent efforts succeeded in motivating a mere 701 students (out of 28,000) to vote.
It’s difficult to say how many of those 701 students were familiar with the candidates for which they were voting. Some students mentioned deliberately neglecting to vote simply because they had no knowledge of the candidates. Information about candidates was available online, but it was not made common knowledge.
This election also lacked fresh blood. Many of the contenders had already served in some capacity with ASPSU before this election, and while experience is important when considering a candidate for office, it is not fair for students when new candidates simply adopt the policies of their predecessors.
More worrisome than the lack of new candidates is the cronyism that seemed to cloud this election. It is perfectly fine if experienced candidates are running, but if that experience and connection to ASPSU unfairly influences the election, provides an unfair advantage for the party in power or simply prevents others from even engaging in the student government, then this is a serious issue that needs to be looked into and resolved.
ASPSU elections are important, as the people being elected hold a significant amount of power at the university and are responsible for millions of dollars in student fees. When the election of these officials is poorly run, it is a disservice to students.
Next Friday, we will offer our suggestions and solutions for these issues. In the meantime, we encourage and invite your input and ideas for next year’s ASPSU elections.