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Several spots open in ASM fall election
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by James Davison
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
The Associated Students of Madison is currently holding its fall elections. All students can vote online until Thursday night at 8 p.m.
Any registered University of Wisconsin student can vote for two open seats on the Student Services Finance Committee. Freshmen can also vote for two open freshman seats on the Student Council.
ASM Vice Chair Cedric Lawson said freshman student council members help to get the word out to other new students about ASM and other student organizations. He added they also inform students how to get involved on campus.
SSFC approves and improves segregated-fee budgets of campus organizations, while the final decision goes to the council, according to Lawson.
Although Lawson stressed the importance of ASM to students, he said fewer than 20 percent of students likely voted in the last election.
"I'm not sure why voter turnout is so low. There are a lot of chalkings and [flyers around campus]," he said, noting the similarity to low voting rates at the national and state levels.
"It is much like people who are asked to get involved in [efforts such as] lowering tuition … and decline to get involved," Lawson said. "It is a general apathy students have."
Lawson said freshmen vote more often than the rest of the student body, which could come from their eagerness to get involved.
UW freshman Jeff Mann said he did not know an election was occurring, but said he understands ASM is an important part of the campus.
Mann said publicity through e-mail and chalking does not usually catch his attention.
"I usually don't open [e-mails] from people I don't know," Mann said.
Another UW freshman, Danny Spirn, said he voted because he knows people running, but feels most people are unaware of the election.
"I kind of know the basics of [ASM] … but I don't know how much change on campus it could [create]," Spirn said.
UW junior Jolene Hoefs said she voted when she was a freshman, but her viewpoint of ASM has since changed.
"Freshman year I thought ASM was a pretty big influence, but my viewpoint has changed because I don't see the work they do in my everyday life," Hoefs said, adding that this year she has not seen as much exposure to any candidates who are running.
UW junior Nate Johnson, who works for the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group's New Voters Project, said he plans on voting because he wants to have a say in what is happening on campus.
Low voter turnouts are not surprising, Johnson said.
"Young voters have a tendency not to vote, even in presidential elections," he added.
UW students can vote online at www.vote.asm.wisc.edu.
Anonymous (October 13, 2004 @ 7:33am):
Why did former ASM Chair Austin Evans file suit yesterday to stop the SSFC election?
Now the Student Judiciary has put the results of the election "under seal" based on a technicality and said they will determine whether the election will count after it concludes.
Something's fishy here...but what's new.
Anonymous (October 13, 2004 @ 7:34am):
Did it ever occur to the reporter that it would be good to interview some candidates in this election?
