2008 Woodie Awards
Informed voting helps to properly represent students
STAFF EDITORIAL
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
TURNOUT FOR PAST SGA elections has always been low, but there is no excuse for a low turnout this year.
As the elections have moved to an online format, it has opened up a greater chance of democratization of the process. In previous elections, students have commonly cited limited time as an excuse to not visit on-campus voting booths. At times, students found their way to the voting sites only to find them unmanned.
With the elections now online, all a student will have to do is check his or her school e-mail from the comfort of his or her own home and follow a link to the voting site. The excuses to not vote are gone.
There is also no reason to not make an informed vote. In order to learn about a particular candidate, all a voter has to do is take a slight detour to the online social network Facebook. Many of the candidates have created groups in order to discuss their vision for USA. Individual candidates can be directly contacted through Facebook if you have any more questions pertaining to their qualifications, ideas or any other random thought.
In addition to the information available on Facebook, articles pertaining to this year's SGA election have been archived at http://www.usavanguard.com.
Both resources are valuable tools in helping any voter make a more informed decision.
Keep in mind that voting is important. SGA deals with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student funds every year and can have an impact on decisions made by University administration.
The larger the turnout, the greater the mandate SGA will have in the eyes of the administration. With greater student support, the administration will not be able to as easily deny the demands of SGA.
As the elections have moved to an online format, it has opened up a greater chance of democratization of the process. In previous elections, students have commonly cited limited time as an excuse to not visit on-campus voting booths. At times, students found their way to the voting sites only to find them unmanned.
With the elections now online, all a student will have to do is check his or her school e-mail from the comfort of his or her own home and follow a link to the voting site. The excuses to not vote are gone.
There is also no reason to not make an informed vote. In order to learn about a particular candidate, all a voter has to do is take a slight detour to the online social network Facebook. Many of the candidates have created groups in order to discuss their vision for USA. Individual candidates can be directly contacted through Facebook if you have any more questions pertaining to their qualifications, ideas or any other random thought.
In addition to the information available on Facebook, articles pertaining to this year's SGA election have been archived at http://www.usavanguard.com.
Both resources are valuable tools in helping any voter make a more informed decision.
Keep in mind that voting is important. SGA deals with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student funds every year and can have an impact on decisions made by University administration.
The larger the turnout, the greater the mandate SGA will have in the eyes of the administration. With greater student support, the administration will not be able to as easily deny the demands of SGA.
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