Student body elects new representatives with 15 percent turnout

Turnout

A higher number of students voted in the Associated Student’s of Madison spring election than last year, with 15 percent of the student body completing online ballots in the three-day period.

This year 6,077 completed online ballots out of the 40,723 total enrolled students for the spring semester.

The turnout was higher than during last year’s election, when 11.7 percent of the student body voted.

Student Election Commission Chair Mickey Stevens said although he would like to see a even greater number of voters, the current turnout is good for a regular election with only one added referendum.

He said the turnout has surpassed his expectations, adding that he usually does not see a 15 percent turnout. 

ASM Chair Andrew Bulovsky said this is the second-highest turnout ASM has seen in the past five or six years. 

“I’m really excited to see it, I think 15 percent is great,” he said.

The highest voter turnout in ASM election was about 35 percent, when the NAT UP referendum, which increased segregated fees for revamping the Natatorium, was included on the ballot in 2010.

Last year, the election did not include any referendum items. According to Stevens, the 11.7 percent turnout was higher than what the Student Election Commission projected.

General Election Results

The University of Wisconsin election brought new faces to the student government, with council members vowing to become a better service body for the students and to focus on key issues such as diversity.

ASM Student Council allotted 10 out of the 12 seats for College of Letters and Science to new representatives. Rep. David Gardner and Rep. Maria Giannopoulos retained their seats on the council for next year.

The College of Letters and Science also had the biggest returns among all colleges, with the number of votes for winners ranging from 791 to more than 1,600.

Courtney Jackson, who won as the seventh representative of the College of Letters and Science, said her goal is to make Student Council more accessible and to bring better service for the student body.

“My goal is that students are able to come to the Student Council, to feel confortable bringing their concerns and ideas…to express changes they want to see on campus to the Student Council,” she said.

Another new representative this year from College of Letters and Science, Justin Bloesch said he wants to focus on improving diversity on campus, by finding ways to truly integrating students from different backgrounds.

Mike Van Sistine from the School of Human Ecology, School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy received 602 votes, the second highest number after the College of Letters and Science recipients. Rep. Jamie Wheeler, who spoke on behalf of the graduate and professional students on the issue of proposed alcohol policy, retained her seat on the Student Council as the representative of graduate school with 264 votes.

Rep. David Vines and Rep. German Larrain retained their seats on the Student Services Finance Committee as the top and second recipients, winning more than 1,200 votes.

SSFC’s current Chair Ellie Bruecker, who is graduating this year, said she is excited to see new faces on the committee and trusts that the committee is in good hands.

Senior class officers were also announced, with Joe Meeker winning the position of Senior Class President by 64 votes over Sarah Neibart, who was elected Senior Class Treasurer.

Bulovsky won both Senior Class Vice President and Senior Class Secretary, receiving more than 2,000 votes. He was the only candidate running for the two positions aside from write-in candidates.

The results of the election are still preliminary, according to Student Election Commission Chair Mickey Stevens. The results will be finalized in three to five school days.