More than four days after the polls closed, the verdict is finally in on the Associated Students of Madison election. Thanks to the 6.59 percent of students that voted, and much to our dismay, both the Living Wage and the Student Union Initiative referendums passed. Consequently, student employees at the University Health Services, Recreational Sports and the Wisconsin Union will receive a whopping $10.23 per hour. And even more distressing, Memorial Union and Union South will undergo renovations and reconstruction at a cost of about $200 million to be paid off for up to 30 years.

Despite the bounty of campaign fliers, attention from student media and plentiful paid advertising by SUI, the vast majority of students still didn't make it to the polls. In fact, only 2,635 students voted at all, leaving us to wonder what, exactly, failed to spark the interest of the student body — especially considering both proposed referendums will have such a dramatic effect on students' finances.

As if the lack of student participation were not disturbing enough, both of last semester's elections had far more reasonable outcomes: Both flubbed ASM elections would have resulted in the passage of the Living Wage referendum and the failure of the Student Union Initiative.

Despite a whopping 22 percent turnout for the online vote last semester, both elections were thrown out due to technical glitches. Last year, students did their part to give input on the issues thinking their voices would be heard and officially tallied. But lo and behold, because of the gross ineptitude of those running the elections, their participation was nullified — even though the mishaps surrounding the second election would not have actually swayed the final vote on either referendum.

ASM set up the polls again last week, determined not to completely botch yet another election. After dawdling for days — for reasons still unknown, seeing as so few votes were cast in the first place — ASM is celebrating a supposed success. Their elections have finally been completed, and both referendums were passed.

So on Nov. 7, Instead of complaining about issues, actually take action and do something about them.