 "Photo: Courtesy: SUTV")
Primary and general elections are proceeding as smoothly as possible this year despite changes in the SUUSA constitution, and election directors and a reduced number of candidates.
SUUSA President Cody Alderson said elections are usually run by an election director who is temporarily appointed to the president’s cabinet.
He said this year the senate is still involved in managing the election, but the election director is Alex Francis, student director of the Michael O. Leavitt Center for Politics & Public Service.
Dennis Busch, elections co-director and University Journal opinion editor, was the elections director last year. He said having the elections run out of the Leavitt Center provides an opportunity for a more independently run election.
He said with Alderson being an incumbent, it is important to have that separation of the election director from Alderson’s cabinet.
Francis said if there are any disputes in regards to the regulations which candidates must abide by, those concerns will be taken to a committee, including SUUSA senators, himself and other officials. If the dispute can’t be resolved, then it must go to the SUUSA Judicial Council.
He said there are many more restrictions in these elections than a national scale election. He cited one bylaw which prevents a single council candidate from spending more the $500 on campaigning while a senator can spend only $150.
Another bylaw regarding the campaign trail was no candidate may use a picture of someone else on their propaganda. Only the candidates’ picture may appear.
Busch said with the SUUSA restructure last month, there has actually been more competition in terms of the senatorial elections.
The restructure did not change how the elections were run but do change the outcome he said.
Before the restructure, there were two senate seats and seldom was there any competition for those seats outside of the College of Performing & Visual Arts who even this year required a primary to narrow the candidates, Busch said.
This year, there is competition from every college for the one senate seat except for the School of Business and the graduate studies senator, he said.
Busch said he is disappointed to see such a low candidate turnout compared to previous years. Neither he nor several other officials could be certain as to the cause.
Keri Mecham, director of Student Involvement & Leadership, said some factors that may have contributed to the low turnout in terms of candidates are that many students may not fully understand the restructure.
When the enactment of the restructure was put to the students, the voter turnout was around 300 out of nearly 8,000 students attending SUU.
She said there are fewer senators to represent each college. Their position was replaced by a representative from each of the college’s departments.
She said those positions, rather than being voted on by the student body, are appointed.
Busch said some students lack information regarding the senate positions. Though he does offer another reason for the lack of interest in “plain old apathy.”
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