Student Association cabinet members are working to increase student turnout in this spring’s SA elections, SA officials said.

John Fisher, SA’s public relations chair, said he will be working with candidates to elevate their platforms and ensure Syracuse University’s student body is informed when it comes time to vote.

Only 12% of SU students voted in last year’s elections, one of the lowest voter turnouts in SA history. Increasing voter turnout starts with the candidates talking to student groups on campus and spreading word about their campaigns, said SA President Mackenzie Mertikas.

“It’s also on SA to make sure students know when to vote, where to vote and emphasizing how important it is to vote since these positions are representing 15,000 students here on campus,” Mertikas said.

SA will not be changing any policies surrounding SA elections, Mertikas said. She will instead look to the association’s public relations team to get the word out, she said.

Sameeha Saied, SA vice president, said this year’s elections are not that different from last year’s. The only foreseeable changes are different candidates and a higher voter turnout, she said.

David Bruen, chair of SA’s Board of Elections and Membership, has been working on an initiative called Cuse Otto Vote to revamp elections. He hopes to increase voter turnout in SA elections as well as in local and state elections.

“I’m hoping for voter turnout to be somewhere in the low 20s,” Bruen said. “I want something that’s realistic and attainable so that we can continue to move toward more in the future.”

Bruen and Fisher will be working together to create opportunities for students to learn more about the candidates, Fisher said.

Bruen also proposed a bill last semester that would make SA’s votes on bills more easily accessible to the public to increase transparency, he said.

“Personally, I have a vested interest in transparency,” Bruen said. “The students don’t know what’s going on in our meetings and they don’t know what we’re voting on or discussing. The purpose behind it is that it keeps track of all that data, and it’s supposed to be published.”

The bill was unanimously approved, but SA has been slow with implementation, Bruen said. The director of technology, a position necessary for progressing the bill, has recently been filled, he said.

SA’s elections will be held in April through MySlice. The association opened applications for candidates last Wednesday and will stop accepting applications March 11, Mertikas said.

“It’s really exciting to get to know different candidates and see what they want to work on on campus,” Mertikas said. “Overall, we’re excited for whoever is in these roles to continue to make changes on campus.”

Published on February 16, 2020 at 11:24 pm

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