The campaign trains don't stop

Vote today

– The Ag building bridge
– UU Plaza
– Education Breezeway

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be a runoff between Brandon Souza and Matt Taylor today for the 2007-08 Associated Students Inc. presidency.

The runoff comes after last week’s election failed to present any of the candidates with 50 percent or more of the votes required to become president. Souza came out on top in the original election with 40 percent of the votes, trailed by Taylor with 30.3 percent. Taylor narrowly beat out Arvand Sabetian, who was only 30 votes behind.

“We all expected that it was going to be close,” Taylor said. “I’m just happy that I was put in the position that I was. I’m thankful for the people that went out and voted for me.” Runoffs in elections with more than two candidates are common, and neither Souza nor Taylor were surprised – both said they prepared for such an event.

“I think as with any campaign everyone is excited, but we’ve been working hard at this now for over three months. We’re ready for some results and we’re excited about it,” Souza said.

Taylor held a Safe Walk through campus Monday and light bulb exchange Tuesday as part of his campaign.

“It’s not something that’s just a publicity stunt to get votes in at the end. It was something that we wanted to do, but we just didn’t have any time to fit it in,” he said.

The Safe Walk was meant to go around campus and address issues concerning safety for students on campus, such as lighting and cross walks. The light bulb exchange, which was done in partner with the Empower Poly Coalition, encouraged members of the Cal Poly community to exchange old bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.

“We’re really serious about the issues that we want to pursue. We’re not just talking about things, but actually going out and doing them and working toward change,” Taylor said.

Souza is serving root beer floats in the University Union and on Dexter Lawn today to thank to those who have been showing support, but other than that, has made few changes to his original campaign.

“I think we had a good thing going. I think that students liked our campaign. They liked what I was doing and showing for them. What we have been doing has been working really well for us,” he said. “Our main focus is getting the message out that there is a run-off.”

Souza’s campaign consisted mostly of talking to students, passing out flyers and his sober-ride program, in which he provided sober rides for students on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights throughout his campaign.

“That program has been phenomenal. We’ve had such a great chance to talk to students – they’ve been such a captive audience while we’re transporting them and we’ve really been able to talk not only about a sober-ride program but about different issues on campus,” Souza said.

ASI is hoping to get a good turnout of voters for round two of voting. Last week’s vote sent 25.5 percent of the student body to the polls, a 3-percent increase from last year. Elections chair Mia White said that run-offs in the past typically brought out fewer students than the original elections, but that they’re hoping there won’t be too much of a drop off this year.

Polls will be open today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three locations across campus: the Alan A. Erhart Agriculture building bridge, the University Union Plaza and the Education building breezeway.