Student voter turnout lowest in past six years

Maybe it was the early rain. Maybe it was the afternoon sunshine. Whatever it was, Undergraduate Student Government election voter turnout was the lowest of the past six years, with 4,596 students voting in the election yesterday.

"I think we had the weather working against us . . . the weather always affects people going out to the polls," said Tracy Greca, head elections commissioner.

Students voted for representatives in USG, the Association of Residence Hall Students and the University Park Allocation Committee.

Although voting ran smoothly in most areas, some voting sites did not receive their ballots until shortly after the polls were supposed to open, said James Salva, voting and tallying elections commissioner. The ballots did not arrive at Atherton Hall until about 8:45 a.m., said Colleen Campbell (senior-premedicine), an elections worker.

At the HUB, students voted in waves during class changes, said Kadine Anckle (sophomore-journalism), an elections worker.

"I think there'd be a lot more people here if it wasn't raining," Anckle said.

The downpours of rain early in the day may have kept students away from polls in some areas, but it drew voters toward the voting table at the University Gates. There, students at the nearby bus stop took shelter underneath the tarp sheltering the elections table.

Although turnout was low, some students said they felt obligated to cast a ballot.

Cindy Bernal (sophomore-human development and family studies) said voting is her right as a student and shows respect to students who work hard to campaign.

"If I don't vote, then I don't have any right to complain about what the student government does or doesn't do," Bernal said after voting at Pollock Commons.