In an attempt to give students a larger say in how the student government is run and increase interest in the program, ASMSU members are weighing the pros and cons of opening the next presidential election up to the student body.
However, the number of students turning out to vote for their college representatives has been very low, and that is a major deterrent to a direct presidential election.
“Right now, students can vote for the people who directly elect the president,” social relations and policy senior Colin Wiebrecht said. “And they don’t.”
Public policy senior Evan Schrage believes that when the president is up for election, it will drive up student interest in the vote.
“A lot of schools across the Big Ten have popularly elected presidents and higher turnout rates,” he said.
One of the group’s concerns is to glean student opinion about an open election.
“We need to reach out and make ourselves available to students,” said Domonique Clemons, ASMSU’s vice president of student allocations. “But they have to meet us in the middle. Its a two-way street.”
The ad-hoc election subcommittee, headed by Schrage, met on Oct. 2 to discuss the possibility of changing ASMSU’s election code for the spring semester.
“It’s important to have these conversations now,” Schrage said. “We only have until the end of December to get this done.”
The proposed changes would first have to be approved by the policy committee and then the general assembly.
The proposed change includes opening up the presidential election to all students who pay the ASMSU tax. Opting out of the tax prevents students from accessing ASMSU resources, such as iClicker rental, free yearbooks and also the chance to vote for a representative in the college they belong to.
By opening the presidential election to students, the committee hopes that not only will students have a better understanding of how ASMSU operates, but the candidates themselves will get a better view of what students think can be done.
Through debates and town hall meetings, the group would allow candidates to reach out and connect with the student body at large. However, these events might be expensive to run.
Another concern among members was the possibility of the election turning into a popularity contest.
“What happens if we get a candidate who is popular among students but who may not be the best choice for the job?” Weibrecht said.
The group will continue to meet and discuss the best options for the election process but is very interested in learning the student opinion.
