AU students headed to the polls to vote for their representatives to the General Assembly and Class of 2007 Council yesterday and continue to vote today. Unlike last year, sheets of paper and pens greet them instead of computers offering online voting.
"I've done paper ballots before," said Polson Kanneth, chair of the Student Confederation's Board of Elections. "It's accountable. When someone wants to check the count, they are there. And there's a hard copy."
The election, which includes votes for open seats on the GA as well as the new freshman class council, shifted away from the computer system after problems in the past.
"Some people were able to vote for themselves five times," Kanneth said, "while others weren't able to vote for themselves once."
SC President Nick Terzulli said he supports the paper ballots completely.
"The GA gave their support and we are all behind Polson on this," Terzulli said.
The GA contains members from each class, school and residence hall. There are currently vacancies in all of the main campus residence halls, as well as the three representatives of the Class of 2007.
Kanneth said there are 40 candidates running for the 16 open positions. Carlos Ramirez, GA Speaker Pro Tempore and member of the SC President's Policy Team for Campus Life, said many upperclassmen were taking part in addition to the freshmen.
"We had candidates where we didn't have candidates before," Ramirez said.
SC Secretary Karen Fischer attributes this rise in interest to the recruiting done during the New Student Orientation sessions this summer.
Voting continues today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Mary Graydon Center, room 120. Kanneth said the time is to accommodate "the early risers and the stragglers."
Results will be announced tonight at 11 p.m. after the Board of Elections has a chance to count the ballots.
Students up, running for election today Courtesy of the Board of Elections
General Assembly:
Anderson Hall (Select two): - Moamar Tidjani-Dourodjaye - Rachelle Chidester - Mark Anderson - Makenna Porch - Kevin Moreau - Andrew Danto
Centennial Hall (Select one): - Michelle Reich
Hughes Hall (Select one): - Iwona Rusek
Leonard Hall (Select one): - James Sanborn
Letts Hall (Select two): - Marissa Friedman - David Levine - Justin Whitlock - Jeremy Zook - Bryan Riley - Julie Fleming - Joseph Brunelle
McDowell Hall (Select one): - Sean Johnson - Eddie Shimkus - Jason Rahlan
Off-Campus (Select up to three): - Jake Baerkircher
Class of 2007 (Select three): - Jonathan Comick - Jessica Antista - Jonathan Dawood - Joseph Eberhard - Greg Wasserstrom - Benjamin Murray - Chasity Davis
Class of 2007
President (Select one): - Irina Vintila-Sinescu - Jeremy Burn - Mark Stern - Kelly Smith
Vice-President (Select one): - Shayna Hutchins - Tara Steinmetz - Sebastian Janelli - Guy Seeman - Lindsay Bogar
Secretary (Select one): - Alicia Griffin
Comptroller (Select one): - Sterling Johnson - Ruben Musca
