Despite struggling with low voter turnout in past elections, Student Government and Student Elections Commission officials expect more student participation in this week’s election for fall 2013 SG executive board due to its competitive nature.
Three slates are running in this election, which makes it the first since April 2011 to be contested.
“In the past election, we had only one slate running,” said SG spokesman and Director of Advocacy Saurabh Mahajan, a College of Arts and Sciences freshman. “This time we have three slates running. There are three people running for each position, and all the people running are very well qualified.”
Students voting can choose between SG executive board candidates in the slates Becoming United, The BU Ignition and Can’t B Without U. Polls opened Monday and will close Friday, according to the Student Elections Commission website. Voting takes place on the BU Student Link.
Mahajan, who is seeking executive vice president as part of The BU Ignition slate, said he hopes the election will bring more visibility to SG.
“Hopefully, that also means there is a lot of information going out to the public about what Student Government is,” Mahajan said. “With the competition, people may show more interest in the election.”
Mahajan said the element of competition changes the nature of the election and makes students believe each individual vote will carry more weight.
“Students feel as if their votes matter this time — that’s another virtue of the competition,” he said. “When there is competition, it makes the student feel like their going to vote and support a candidate actually matters.”
Tess McNamara, SEC co-chair and School of Education sophomore, said while past elections’ voter turnout has been low, she expects to see a spike in participation this year.
“In the past two elections, voter turnout has been approximately or less than 10 percent of the student body population,” she said in an email. “We hope and expect that that number will increase during this voting cycle.”
McNamara said this election is also unique in that students feel their votes will truly make an impact.
“This is such an excellent opportunity for them [students] to vote for the candidate that they best feel represents their personal needs at the university,” she said. “Although they have always had the chance to vote, having the option to select from multiple motivated candidates … really brings a new level of student voice to the election.”
Each of the three slates will participate in the debate Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the George Sherman Union, according to the SEC website. The SEC also held a Candidate Meet and Greet gathering April 12.
Several BU students said they are much more likely to vote in this election as their votes will determine who becomes the next executive board.
College of General Studies sophomore Cara Matarazzo said she would be more likely to vote if she knew more about SG. However, she said the race’s multiple slates should create a competitive environment that will attract more voters.
“It benefits the people when there are competitors, but I don’t know what their stance is on different issues,” she said.
Matarazzo said improving student outreach would increase interest in SG.
“Right now it [voting in the SG elections] is not a priority for me,” she said. “If they cut Student Government, it wouldn’t add anything or detract anything from my life.”
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Katherine Sennott said she is planning on voting in this week’s SG election because, as three slates are running, candidates will have had to develop a concrete plan before running.
“It forces the people who are running to think about why they are running and what they are going to do with that and then keep up the promises,” she said. “If I was the only person running for secretary … I could just waltz in and make a mess of everything.”
Paul Martinez, a CAS sophomore who said he already cast his vote, also said the competitive element of this semester’s SG election will improve the student body’s relationship to elected student officials.
“It looks good, the fact that more people are wanting to get involved in something like student Government,” he said. “If we see it’s a competition, we’re competitive, and we are going to want to get involved.”
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