Ohio University's Student Senate saw its highest voter turnout in three years at Thursday's election, but those who voted still amounted to less than 20 percent of the student body.
Competition between the Prepared to Engage, Act and Respond and SOUND tickets and a vote about the honor code might have prompted 3,909 students to vote in the election - an increase of 1,805 votes, or 86 percent, from last year, according unofficial results from the Board of Elections.
Current Senate President Robert Leary and President-elect Jesse Neader both said the prominence of the candidates as well as this year's campaign efforts accounted for the extra votes this year. The six students who ran for the top three positions are current senate members.
We had two viable senate tickets with great campaigns
Neader said.
This year's election allowed students to vote on an issue, similarly to the 2007 election, which had record turnout with 4,608 voters, said Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi.
The 2007 ballot allowed students to cast a vote of confidence for President Roderick McDavis, while this year's included senate's honor code. The code, which serves as a supplement to the OU Code of Conduct, encourages academic integrity.
The vote of confidence drew thousands of students to the polls, with 3,426 students saying they had no confidence in McDavis' ability to lead the university, according to a previous Post article.
However, Leary and Neader said they don't think the honor code played a comparable role in drawing students this year.
Board of Elections Chairman Matthew Denhart said the board did its part to improve turnout this year as well, with Facebook invitations, advertising, campuswide e-mails and a polling station in Baker University Center on election day. The increase was still more than he expected, Denhart said.
OU's turnout this year was higher than Ohio State University's student government election, which saw a turnout of 18.3 percent, according to OSU's website. Kent State University saw a turnout of only 12 percent, said Emily Vincent, director of University Media Relations.
Lombardi, who serves as the senate's adviser, said he thinks senate adequately represents student opinion despite low voter turnout. He compared OU to Duke University, Colorado College and several other schools.
I've been on a lot of other campuses (as a student and faculty member) and there is more engagement with Student Senate here than anywhere else I've seen Lombardi said. Absolutely
the Student Senate here has a much stronger voice.
Lombardi compared voter turnout with the number of students who open the monthly e-mails sent out by Leary and Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith. This year, an average of 9.4 percent of students read Leary's e-mails and 9.1 percent read Smith's, Lombardi said.
Leary and Neader expect even higher turnout next year, with a recently passed resolution that will extend the voting period to two days and a proposed change that would chop the month-long campaign period in half.
1
News
Rebecca McKinsey
31880a.jpg
Matthew Denhart (left), chair of the Board of Elections, helps Sophomore Mustafa Modi vote at the Student Senate voting area in the fourth floor of Baker Unversity Center Thursday. (Erin Corneliussen | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
