Opinion
Redo referendums
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Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:
- The Invisible Man Award: Wyndham Manning (May 7, 2009)
- The People's Choice Award: Jacqueline Hitchon et. al (May 7, 2009)
- The Lifetime Achievement Award: ASM (May 7, 2009)
- Honest representation (May 5, 2009)
- Junger for ASM Chair (May 5, 2009)
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The University of Wisconsin's Division of Information Technology, in wake of two botched Associated Students of Madison elections, has made clear that it cannot vouch for much of anything at the moment. The only certainties we know to be true are uncertainties — it is uncertain how many people successfully voted in the first ASM election, it is uncertain which people had their referendum votes from that election successfully carried forward and it is uncertain how many successfully voted in the most recent referendum elections.
Not too long ago, the Student Election Commission was promising that before this whole scenario played out, every vote would be counted. At one point in time, ASM told us that every referendum vote had been counted. We now know that at least 436 such votes were never counted.
A group larger than the capacity of most campus lecture halls has been disfranchised, and there is no telling just how high that number might truly be. That the SEC, ASM and the Student Judiciary — fully well knowing this — are seriously considering going forward with the results of this heavily tainted election strikes simply as an outrage to the entire notion of democracy.
Those who angrily stormed a press conference in wake of the first botched election, crying that every vote must be counted, now seem content operating in a world where hundreds of votes go uncounted.
To be sure, this editorial board has no political interest in a new referendum election. We strongly endorsed that the Wisconsin Union Facilities Improvement Plan be voted down — which it was — and remain confident that the living-wage referendum, which we opposed, will be rendered moot by the UW administration.
Rather, we believe that there must be a new referendum election because more so than our belief in any one political subject, we stand behind the notion of democracy. And so long as it remains possible to count all of the votes in a small-scale, manageable election — not to mention even account for the total number of votes — we must consider the results of the referendum elections held on this campus both last week and this week to be something other than legitimate.
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"and remain confident that the living-wage referendum, which we opposed, will be rendered moot by the UW administration."
again, your argument is absurd. essentially you're saying that the administration won't have to abide by shared governance because it says that it won't, and that's an argument to oppose this initiative? why doesn't the BH stop pushing party propaganda and instead take a stand that the administration should respect the wishes of 5300 students? the fact that so many students disregarded your opinion clearly shows how out of touch you are.
and 438 ballots were not counted. as one desperate WUDer said, "how do I know that my ballot was counted?" well, I can tell you for sure that if those 8000 ballots are thrown out, that my vote will definitely not be counted. quite a predicament, eh? while it would be great to get those 438 to vote, telling 7500 students they don't matter isn't the answer.
sour grapes.
thank you. democracy matters to some of us.
What gives those 7500 students more rights than those 438?
If the referendum had been decided the way you wanted it, you wouldn't be aruging for a redo. Bitter.
The referendums were active for five days..or more..
I can't see how would be fair to force students to vote with paper ballots at few locations..
They're already going to need to do a paper ballot in order to vote. Since DoIT claims that the results from the referendum voting are questionable, why not just put the referendums on the paper ballots?