The Facts: On March 29, 27,344 students were eligible to vote in the spring student body election. The Elections Commission and Eileen Coombes, Student Government advisor, were tipped off that the number was low and they discovered 2,192 students were left out of the election. These students who could not vote on the 29th will be able to vote April 7.
Our Opinion: Although this was an administrative mistake, the Elections Commission should have initially questioned the low numbers. In the future, the commission and Student Government should not be afraid to question themselves and put a system in place that will not unintentionally disenfranchise students again.
When the student body president takes over, he or she chooses the cabinet. One of these positions is the Elections Chair. This officer is charge of the operations of the Elections Commission, according to Student Body Statute 7-2.10, which means this person is ultimately responsible for making sure everything is done correctly. While March 29’s mistake was an administrative error, it should have been apparent that the voter numbers were lower than the normal fluctuation between enrollment.
According to Student Body Statute 7-2.3, “the basic duty” of the Elections Commission is “to ensure a free and fair Student Body Election.” This election, though unintentionally, alienated 2,192 part-time students. Elections Commission Chair Lindsey Pullum did step up and admit the fault, but that doesn’t mean it’s easily excusable.
This was a mistake that could have been avoided, but should have been caught. The numbers were obviously off and should have tipped off anyone who had seen other years’ results. Now is not the time to point fingers, since the election will be reopening Thursday for these students, but the commission should have questioned the results from the beginning. There are at least eight people on it.
It is better to question the election initially and admit it immediately than letting it sit for almost a week and then have someone else point out the mistake. The commission’s, and ultimately Student Government’s, credibility and trust is on the line and the student body should be able to trust their elected government to choose the right people for the job.
Since it is impossible to know the number of students in the voter roll, it would be best to use the test run the commission is required to run before election day to check how many voters are registered. This would be a quick, easy way to incorporate a system of checks so this doesn’t happen again.
We appreciate the honesty from the Election’s Commission and Student Government, but in the future these bodies should realize nothing regarding the election is an easy mistake. They should be vigilant and make sure to check themselves of their own accord. The student body votes them in because they trust them to handle their responsibilities.
