Twenty percent. That’s the amount of the entire student body that turned out to vote in the Associated Students, Inc. election on May 6 and 7. That is down 7.5 percent from last year’s election, according to current ASI president Angela Kramer. Why so low?
Given that students did not even have to ‘turn out’ anywhere to fill out their ballot, being able to vote online in the comfort of their own dorm, sitting in the dark in their skivvies if desired, was it too much to ask? Do students feel the election will not make a difference in the course of their college career? Or were we all too damn busy? I am asking these questions as a student who also did not vote. And I have my reasons. I am curious, though, to learn the main reason others chose not to.
It is kind of sad because the ASI president does play a really important role in matters that affect every student on campus. The president is involved in representing students’ viewpoints in every sector of campus life: from athletics, to the deans, to service at the health center and campus market to any other crazy incidents that happen on campus throughout the year. They are responsible for being accessible to students and addressing their concerns directly to the administration. And I can tell you from watching Kramer, the job is no walk in the park — it’s full-time.
It also seems like such a waste when not only presidential candidates, but also Board of Directors candidates, and all the campaign staff work hard lining the campus with ads and flyers that seem like they really took a long time and money to develop and print.
So what are some reasons? Anybody care enough to comment?