Student votes trickle in as polls close

As the voting period for next year’s Boston University Student Union leaders draws to a close at noon on Monday, candidates and students said they have mixed feelings about how the race has gone.

3,192 students had voted in the election as of Sunday afternoon, compared to 1,535 in the 2009 election and about 3,020 in 2008, said Student Elections Commission vice chairwoman Rachel Katz in an email Sunday. The SEC’s goal before Monday at noon is 4,000 voters, or just under 25 percent of the student body.

Katz, a School of Management senior, said the SEC is happy with the turnout so far.

“We’ve had a great response from students – more students seem excited about this election than ever before,” Katz said in the email.

But the Renew BU slate, consisting of College of Arts and Sciences junior Arthur Emma for president, CAS junior Daniel Ellis for vice president and SMG junior Benjamin Noble for treasurer, said they had thought involvement would be better.

“I think it’s pretty bad,” Emma said. “I was actually kind of surprised because it seems like so many people were aware of the elections.”

The BUnited slate, comprised of SMG junior Taylor Riley for president, CAS sophomore James Boggie for vice president, CAS junior Jenna Kreyche for secretary and SMG sophomore Joseph Nangle for treasurer, said they had hoped for more but are pleased with the number who have voted.

“We wanted more but I think to get 3,000 was a lot and I think that’s something everyone should be happy with,” Riley said.

The unofficial write-in Greek slate, including College of Communication sophomore Julian Jensen for president, CAS freshman Stephen Tanico for vice president, COM sophomore Alex Vaccarino for secretary and CAS sophomore Marisa Feehan for treasurer, said they hope new Union leadership will encourage greater participation going forward.

“Am I disappointed that more people haven’t voted? Yeah,” Jensen said. “But hopefully next year, Union will be an entity that empowers students to have a voice so that voting will be a big thing next year.”

Katz said the SEC has been happy with promotions such as the candidates’ campaigning efforts, posters around campus, voting stations, articles and social media.

“We think students are definitely aware of the election,” Katz said.

CAS sophomore Caroline Prince and SMG sophomore Laura Kalpas, who said they voted for Renew BU in their first time voting for Union, said they heard about the campaign online, at the George Sherman Union and through friends.

Prince said she voted for Renew BU because of the issues on their platform, especially dining hall reform.

“I think they were a little more specific with their goals,” Prince said. “I would love better food.”

But Kalpas said she thinks few people are interested in voting because they don’t know what Union really does, and said that she would be more likely to vote for SMG student government positions.

“I don’t know how much of an impact these students have,” she said. “People are skeptical of the power of Student Union.”

SMG junior Darrin Nandhavan said she too would be more likely to vote for SMG government, especially if she knew someone running.

“I wouldn’t know anyone,” she said. “I would vote for SMG student government because we know the people. I knew one kid who ran freshman year and I voted.”

College of Engineering sophomore Cameron Sadri said though he saw something on the Student Link, he wouldn’t vote for candidates without knowing their platforms.

“It said “vote now’ but I didn’t know what it was about,” he said. “My friend told me to go vote for one of them but I didn’t because I didn’t know what they were saying.

Prince said part of the problem might be that people are distracted by work as classes end.

“This time of year is an especially bad time to have elections . . . because everyone is buried in their work,” she said.

Candidates said they too wish the election could have happened earlier, and Renew BU and BUnited agreed that a shorter election cycle would also be beneficial, since they are drained from the process.

“I wish it were shorter. I don’t think it needs to be this long,” BUnited’s Riley said.
“It’s been kind of stressful and crazy for everyone.

“It’s definitely taken a lot out of all of us,” Emma said. “It’s almost impossible to focus on your studies and the campaign. It shouldn’t be so close to exam week.”

But Greek slate’s Jensen said though he would have preferred that the process happen earlier, the length helped with campaigning.

“I think that it has actually helped because it has provided candidates with time which is a crucial, crucial component of spreading buzz,” Jensen said.

With the results announcement scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, the slates also expressed some concern that students might vote in candidates who are not from the same slates.

“I don’t know if that’s good or bad,” Riley said. “You want more voices there but at the same time in can create some competition.”

Riley said one idea would be to give students the option of voting for slates as a whole or students individually. Emma said that option could be a good one, and that he doesn’t know what he would do if he were voted in without the rest of his slate because he feels “pretty obligated to the people I’m running with.”

“If the students elected me, I wouldn’t want to have all their support be in vain, so I would definitely serve but I think [working with students from other slates] would make things more challenging,” Emma said.

But Jensen said the system of voting in individuals is important.

“It sure would make things a lot easier, but should the outcome be that people vote for people on different slates? I think that’s a better option, to be honest,” he said. “BU’s a place where everybody has to come together.”

Katz said the option to select one slate is on the SEC’s “wish-list,” but the technological side of that would need to be worked out. She said the SEC will discuss concerns about the process and improvement ideas with the slates after the election is over.

Look for an announcement of the election winners tomorrow after 5 p.m. on www.dailyfreepress.com and www.twitter.com/dailyfreepress, and keep reading for more coverage this week.