Schrage noted that the ad-hoc election committee had lost the interest of members, as no one showed up to the most recent meeting, and moved forward with a bill to change the election process. The bill was seconded by supply chain management sophomore Pranav Julakanti but met severe opposition from all other members of ASMSU.

Vice President for Governmental Affairs KC Perlberg expressed concerns that changing the entire election process so quickly with one bill was “too severe”.

Schrage listed the goals behind a more direct election as “increasing voter turnout” and “opening the organization up to students."

In the past, ASMSU general assembly college representative elections turnout rates peaked at 13 percent of tax paying students. However, last year’s election saw 8 percent of students voting.

ASMSU members like social relations and policy junior Colin Wiebrecht fear that students “don’t take (ASMSU) seriously”.

Other trepidations to the bill included concerns about campaign spending and the vote turning into a ‘popularity contest’. 

Members feared that a popularly elected president might be disconnected from the general assembly and student diversity groups that have important representation within ASMSU.

Ultimately, Schrage’s bill proposing the changes to the election process was shot down and failed to pass on to the general assembly. When it comes time for the next ASMSU presidential election in the spring, only elected voting members of the general assembly will have a say in who the best candidate for the job is.