I’m one of the few folks who has voted in every student election while here at MSU. It’s been an interesting four years of noticing how things have changed at ASMSU. When I came here, there were two assemblies and almost no one ran opposed for student elections. In 2011, the first election with one assembly, turnout was less than 3 percent. Clearly something needed to be done.
The next year, turnout jumped to almost 10 percent. People speculated what the cause was for the dramatic increase. In the end, the conclusion was simple: Students had a reason to vote. There were a large number of student tax renewals, James Madison College was creating a new tax for their students and there were even some competitive elections. ASMSU also made large efforts to assist students in voting. They had voting booths around campus, and reminded students about the election.
This year, turnout dipped slightly. The carnival used to promote ASMSU elections had low attendance. We should commend ASMSU for engaging more students than they have before, but I think this should be a lesson for our student government and the electorate. You need to provide a reason to vote. The best way to do this is for our governing bodies to ease up campaigning rules in a constructive way.
Currently, students can’t form slates like other colleges. Imagine if there was a campus-wide discussion about the direction of our student government. Wouldn’t that raise turnout in elections? I understand capping the amount of money students pay for campaigns and prohibiting negative smear efforts, but allowing a constructive debate to grow will give students a reason to vote.
Furthermore, the most important way of communicating, in-person contact, is being stifled by university administration. Students and student groups no longer are allowed to go door to door in dorms. Statistically and anecdotally speaking, that’s the best way to reach voters. Finally, it is an affront on a student’s right to free speech. There is a way to keep dorms safe and still allow grassroots efforts to engage students.
ASMSU and the university administration both need to loosen their rules to draw more people into student elections. It would promote ASMSU and the services they provide, which will allow our government to better serve us.
This is how democratic governments were meant to be run.
Stephen Wooden, political theory and constitutional democracy senior
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