In response to poor turnout at mandatory pre-election meetings, the Board of Elections has added additional meeting times and pushed back the date of Student Government elections. The elections for executives and class and school councils will take place March 5 and 6 instead of March 1 and 2 as was originally planned.
Initially, only 36 people attended the meetings, and all who attended were white men. Even if everyone who attended the meetings ran for a different position, there still wouldn't have been enough people to fill all the positions. Luckily, a last-minute advertising blitz earned a larger, more diverse turnout at last night's additional meeting.
It's unclear why there were so few people interested in running. One explanation could be the bureaucratic red tape required to run for office. Potential candidates are given a hefty packet of rules governing allowable media and campaign finances (then again, at least it's good practice for students who plan on running real campaigns).
Turnout could be low because people simply didn't know about the meetings. Although the meetings were advertised in the SG's weekly e-mail, students who don't read it would be otherwise left in the dark.
Whether students at America's most politically active campus find it easier or just more interesting to get involved with national campaigns, more students (particularly women and minorities) should consider running for SG office. BOE rules are annoying and cumbersome, but they are likely there for a good reason.
Potential candidates shouldn't be put off by the SG's sometimes clique-ish image. Some of the best SG officials have surely come from outside the establishment.
