Posted on March 15, 2006
One can only wonder if the SGA has any hidden intentions in announcing its addition of a whopping 12 hours to the polling period for this upcoming election schedule for the first week of April. But whether or not there is any substance behind this sanction remains to be seen.
By allowing two days for voting instead of one, perhaps the voting results will be more polarized and conclusive, neglecting the potentially expensive need for a second round of campaigning and a runoff election — a problem the SGA has been forced to cope with election after election. As college students, we have to wonder how deep the pockets of the candidates could possibly be if faced with the extra time of campaigning required by runoffs. Perhaps this is what the SGA intends to guard against with the election extension.
The overseers of the Election Commission say they wish to see new faces in SGA seats next year, and are going out of their way to appeal to students who haven’t fallen into the SGA’s recycle bin. This motion seems to be an about-face from SGA sentiments last year, when multiple senators tried to pass a bill that would restrict the number of available senate seats, citing the desire for “increased competition” within SGA.
We applaud this move, at least on its surface. A year ago, we criticized the reduction for shifting the balance of power toward the Election Commission, which was able to appoint with impunity the number of senators it wanted. Any change in that electoral mess is better late than never.
Perhaps the reason the SGA is struggling for more student participation is because students have been screaming for reform of SGA inefficiencies. We can only hope this extension is really what the student body has been demanding.
The SGA has been flooded with poor publicity over the past couple years when some litigious bills were approved and runoffs became an SGA staple. Hopefully the SGA will remain out of hot water as elections roll around. With our fingers crossed and our breaths held, we will see if this year’s election will remain runoff and fiasco free. There is a first time for everything.
