Most students running unopposed, 17 in race for April election

Eight candidates run unopposed in the upcoming Associated Students elections and no candidates are running for three AS positions, said Election Commissioner Kuyler Crocker.

“I think it’s kind of sad that not a lot of students are participating,� said Jae Cabunoc, a freshman communications major. “It makes me want to ask if AS [is] putting enough awareness out there for students to notice the elections.�

The only contested races are for the Senator of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology — two candidates each — and for Senator-At-Large — nine candidates for seven at-large positions, Crocker said.

No candidates are running for three AS positions — senator positions representing the colleges of Social Science, Arts and Humanities and Health and Human Services.

Among the 17 current candidates, only three won̢۪t win their office.

Associated Students President Juan Pablo Moncayo, who is running unopposed for re-election, said timing the elections right is a significant issue.

“A lot of it has to do with how there was the break right before petitions were due,� Moncayo said.

Petitions were due April 10, but moving it earlier was out of the question, Moncayo said. He added that AS bylaws restricted the elections to either begin late March or the current date April 24, and the petition due date was bound to the election. Late March elections would have pushed the petition due date exceptionally early.

“When you have 20,000 students, many of whom are commuters, you’re not going to get a lot of people running,� Moncayo said. “It would be stupid to say it’s not a problem, but I don’t know if the number we see running presents an accurate portrayal. I think we’re going to see a lot of write-in candidates.�

According to an AS bylaw, anyone interested in being a write-in candidate must complete proper documentation in notifying the election commissioner, and it must be turned in before voting begins on April 24.

Lauren Johnson, who is running unopposed for Senator of Craig School of Business, said many students don̢۪t know what AS does or can do for students.

“I think that a lot of students just don’t know what we do,� she said. “I don’t think people know funding is available, for example.�

AS can give a single campus organization up to $2,000 each semester, and can more than two organizations up to $6,000 for a single event, according to the AS bylaws.

“Not only does Associated Students provide students funding, it gets them involved in campus life,� Johnson said. “Campus life is important.�

Crocker said examining past voter turnout for AS elections reflects students̢۪ view of student government.

“If you look at overall what the voter turnout has been for the last few years — under 10 percent — that shows what students think about how much Associated Students matters,� Crocker said. “I think it shows how little students know about how AS plays a role in their daily life at the university.�

Crocker said the participation, in this example voter turnout, parallels trends in the real world.

He said while local elections, just like AS elections, have more of an effect on voters than they think, their voting rates are even more dismal than for statewide or national elections.

“It’s very similar,� he said.

Liberal studies junior Na Vang said she doesn̢۪t really care about student government.

“It doesn’t really affect us,� she said. “We’re usually just worrying about school and our daily life.�

Mae Vang, a liberal studies senior, agreed. “It’s easy to get involved with something else,� she said.

Marissa Isquierdo, a junior history major, worked at the AS-sponsored information booth in the Free Speech Area Friday, three days after petitions for office were due.

“Just today a guy asked me if there were any petitions available for student body government,� she said. “I don’t know if he actually contacted Associated Students or not.�