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While not the most heinous crime that could be committed during an election, the issue of having outside corporation endorsements caused numerous problems during the recent Student Government Association elections.
Some might consider the SGA elections a popularity contest. And with the addition of commercial endorsers to the elections, some candidates are made out to have even more unfair advantages, based on who can get the best endorsers that are willing to spend the most money to publicize the candidate.
Candidates are allotted between $100 and $400 for their campaigning. Outside money will only obscure who is spending what.
As always, connections usually get you to the top. Having connections with companies that can pay for more campaign posters and more exposure gives the candidates with corporate sponsors a leg up in the election.
Additionally, the new rules made it unclear what an outside organization is. The Province is a major housing organization for the University of Louisville, yet they were not allowed to endorse candidates. Housing organizations are constantly placing their names on university-based events. While this is great for helping fundraising or making activities more successful, the endorsement of specific candidates was unnecessary for the elections, and ended up causing more trouble than it was worth.
SGA Supreme Court cases were held to figure out what rules were broken by the outside endorsements. These court proceedings lasted over five hours. Hopefully, the kinks will be worked out before next year’s elections. SGA candidates should have clear regulations as to the corporations that are allowed to endorse them. If candidates can partner with companies that can pay for more campaign material, there is more focus on who has more signs and less on who would make the best voice for U of L students.
Getting rid of corporate sponsorship will solve this problem.
