Some students who had not planned on voting in the universitywide student elections say they will now, following the elections’ Wednesday postponement when polls reopen Tuesday.
Computer glitches and conflicts about ballot wording led ASMSU’s All University Election Commission on Tuesday to recommend the postponement of this week’s elections and the voiding of the undergraduate student government representative elections and the $13 tax renewal and $3 tax increase referendum.
The election commission’s recommendation was approved Wednesday by Lee June, vice president for student affairs and services.
Like several other students, John Soltysiak knew nothing about the voting until the ASMSU and University Apartments’ Council of Residents elections were postponed.
“I really can’t think of anything ASMSU has done for undergraduate students that requires money,” he said Thursday. “I only remember them extending library hours a few years ago.”
The telecommunication junior said he will support the State News tax increase, but not ASMSU’s tax increase. Only University Apartments residents can vote on the Council of Residents tax increase.
Unlike the other elections, students can continue to vote on the State News $1 tax increase referendum.
University Apartments officials decided to postpone their $1.50 tax increase referendum because 428 faculty and staff members who pay the tax could not access the polls.
“I really hope people wouldn’t let (the postponement) deter them from voting,” said Jeremy Roark, University Apartments’ Council of Residents president, who said officials advertised with fliers and by word-of-mouth. “I know it’s been frustrating, but I hope it doesn’t discourage them.”
State News officials are deciding to continue with their referendum, saying they advertised for the elections with group presentations, newspaper ads and Web site advertising.
“There’s a possibility there will be fewer people voting this week,” said Marty Sprigg, general manager of The State News. “But on the other hand, the attention that was brought to the ballot may bring more voters.”
Marketing junior Patricia Caoile said she knew about the elections prior to the postponement, but didn’t know details about ASMSU’s items on the ballot.
“There was a guy that came into my class and spoke briefly,” Caoile said. “I wouldn’t like a tax increase for anything, but I’m not sure I’d vote because I don’t really know what’s going on. I really don’t even know what ASMSU is for.”
Quinn Wright, ASMSU Student Assembly chairperson, said the organization could have advertised more, but said ballot information was available to students. When elections reopen next week, Wright said ASMSU representatives and staff will conduct door-to-door advertising on campus.
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” said Wright, who said the organization’s main problem is student apathy. “We tried to promote it the best we could.”
Student Assembly approved $1,750 for election advertisement Thursday night.
Wright said he hopes the postponement will attract the best voter turnout in the undergraduate student government’s history. Last year, fewer than 1,000 people - about 2.7 percent of the undergraduate student population - voted.
“All publicity is good publicity,” Wright said. “It is in a negative area, but I hope this encourages people to do some fact-finding to find out what’s going on.”
But interdisciplinary studies in social science junior Scott Tieppo said he doesn’t plan on voting this week or next week.
“I’m not aware of it,” he said. “I don’t know anything about it.”
Statistics junior Holly Kielbowicz said she wasn’t going to vote, but now plans to. She said she would be more likely to vote for ASMSU elections if she knew more about them.
“Besides hearing about them being postponed, I didn’t even know there were people that needed to be elected,” she said.
English sophomore Katie Lorey said she doesn’t know who is running for representative seats in her college, the College of Arts & Letters, but she plans on voting for the ASMSU tax increase.
“I plan on voting next week only because one of my friends told me to do it,” she said.
Students can vote at www.student-elections.msu.edu.
Alison Barker can be reached at barkera6@msu.edu.
