A freshman caucus election in which four of five tickets are disqualified demonstrates an incompetent system. The winning ticket had only 25 votes from a class with over 800 students. A reelection will now be held in which disqualified candidates will be barred from running.
The disqualified tickets are at fault for disregarding campaigning rules, but the Board of Elections (BOE) also slipped up by not enforcing their regulations quickly enough. Internet campaigning, an offense that usually results in a penalized day of campaigning, was caught too late, making campaign suspension impossible.
The BOE must reexamine the way they currently function and the regulations that guide the body. It was not prepared to handle such a sticky situation. Despite being aware of campaign violations the day before primaries, the BOE held the elections anyway. A better course would have been postponing them—not only to investigate the claim but also to ensure that the votes recorded did not go to waste. Amending the BOE charter, as the Board is doing now, is a commendable first step.
The reelection will also be tainted by the results of the primaries. Freshmen who voted this past month may not vote again—especially if their votes were discounted. The animosity between disqualified tickets and the candidates who are now advancing to the general elections might also skew the outcome.
Recently, student elections have not gone smoothly. But the community can work together to simplify the process and make campaigning more appealing—especially for students who are new to it. An SU calendar of important dates would serve as a reminder for deadlines and elections. It could also profile elected leaders and follow their accomplishments throughout the year on the SU Web site. Big Sibs have the power to inform all incoming students—not only those interested in running—about the student government.
Freshman representatives, once elected, must be a necessary component of a healthy student body, instead of a pointless office. The SU must clearly define the roles of the freshmen and sophomore presidents. These two positions, which have traditionally been those of glorified party-planners, are what the office-holders make of them.
The winning candidates should play a larger role in SU decision-making and should serve as vocal representatives of student interest by attending School Leadership Team meetings and consulting with administrators. Only freshman and sophomore representatives can reflect the opinions of a constituency that might otherwise be ignored: underclassmen.
The student body has both the ability and the motivation to express itself and participate in forming policy. We shouldn’t let another botched elections—or the consequent misuse of elected positions—ruin the potential we have of becoming a powerful democracy.