There are two features of the current SA election that give it more significance than one might be inclined to award a student government election.
First, the turnover—at least among senators—in this election highlights the troubling times our student government is in. Out of the 14 sitting senators who are eligible to run in this year’s election, only three are returning to the campaign trail.
While there are many explanations for such a huge turnover, the message still rings clear: SA has issues.
What this means for the student body is that it will be electing an almost entirely new set of faces to represent their interests. When dealing in such terms, it is crucial for voters to choose their representatives wisely. With many of these individuals new to the SA scene, an inattentive electorate could spell disaster for our future government, especially given that the entire structure of that government has been reworked.
That brings us to our second point: whomever the student body elects as its leaders will have to grapple with the challenge of ushering in SA’s new bylaws.
Because SA will be operating under a brand new system of organization, with the roles of senators in particular being pushed to the forefront of our government, it is crucial that the student body not only vote with care, but vote in general.
Historically, voter turnout in SA elections has been embarassingly low. For example, in the 2013 presidential and vice-presidential elections, only 1,509 students out of an undergraduate population exceeding 5,000 students voted.
We don’t want to sound preachy, but it is pivotal that students vote and do so wisely. When we interviewed each set of candidates for SA president and vice-president, one theme came up in both platforms: SA is in flux, and it’s up to everyone to set it straight.
