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The top four Student Government Association candidates are running without opposition this year. Given that voter turnout for SGA elections has been abysmal for years, the fact that even a complete lack of interest from the student body would now be a moot point carries the trend of apathy to its absurd extreme: no matter how little the student body cares, the candidates simply can’t lose.
The implications are compelling: if a national presidential election with unprecedented voter turnout is carried by a margin smaller than the margin of error and deemed a mandate, how much more can the uncontested candidates, gleaning all of a handful of votes, claim to be the people’s choice?
What should the top four take from all this? Last election in this space, The Cardinal suggested that voter apathy should give SGA some new priorities. We now reassert this proposition in spades: SGA must seek to understand and connect with the student body it represents, work for students’ interests and make its works known. The alternative is continued descent into obscurity and irrelevance. SGA’s number one priority should be building an unassailable reputation for legitimacy and diligence.
Considering the talent pool involved, this is not so tall an order as it might seem. Three of the uncontested top four candidates were endorsed by The Cardinal last year for the positions they currently hold on the basis of their character and abilities. The question is not one of competence or commitment; they have the right stuff.
Last year, $18,000 was spent making online voting a reality, only to report fewer votes than the year before. This election the system will, in effect, serve as an electronic thumb-twiddler. We at The Cardinal sincerely hope that all the energies the top four won’t be spending campaigning will be redirected to getting a running start at the task at hand: making SGA matter.
