Students can vote for their Student Government representatives from the comfort of their own computers for the first time ever in the elections that run Monday through Wednesday of this week, according to a new bill unanimously passed by the General Assembly.
"I like that we're trying this out. It's a lot easier to say 'get on your computer and log in' than it is to say 'get your bum out of bed and stroll over to Mary Graydon Center,'" said Matt Larson, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Communication. Larson is a member of the General Assembly, the expiring legislative arm of the Student Government, where the bill calling for online voting originated.
This week's election will select legislators for the new Undergraduate Senate, which will replace the outgoing General Assembly. Thirty-seven candidates are competing for 30 seats in the new Senate, although five seats have no candidates running and will be filled by appointments at a later date. Representatives for the freshmen class council will also be elected in the Oct. 17-19 elections.
SG President Kyle Taylor signed the bill and sent it on to Board of Elections Chairman Jarryd Ritter, who worked with e-operations to successfully implement the measure. Students will be able to vote through the my.american.edu portal beginning at 9:00 am on Monday, Oct. 17 straight through until 5:00 pm on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
"I believe that with this new, simpler system we can greatly increase voter turnout and hopefully make the AU community more involved in the elections," said Ritter.
Students voted electronically through the my.american.edu portal for the first time last spring but had to go to Mary Graydon Center to do so. Under the new system, students can vote from any location as long as they can log in to their my.american.edu account successfully.
Nick Johnson, GA representative for the Class of 2006, said last year's system disenfranchises voters who cannot come to the polling place, including those who are studying abroad and students who are ill or otherwise cannot make it to MGC.
"Being in the nation's capital, we should be a little more progressive," Johnson said.
Kate Siegfried, a junior studying abroad in Cairo, said she plans to take advantage of the opportunity to vote from another country, an option that is part of the GA Bill.
"I feel a little bit out of it because I'm so far away but I think that would be a great way to stay a part of the AU community," Siegfried said. "I think if I could vote I would definitely be interested, even if just for the excitement of doing something that affects people at home."
Freshman Micah Hartman admitted that she wouldn't be likely to vote if it required much effort.
"If [lines in MGC] were really even kind of a hassle, I probably wouldn't bother ... I would definitely be more inclined to vote if it just took thirty seconds from my own computer," Hartman said.
Regardless of how easy it is made, however, some students still plan not to vote. Christopher Patriquin, a junior in SIS and SPA, doesn't think the new system will greatly enhance turnout. "It just means people can be apathetic from their dorm rooms," said Patriquin.
Student Government officials are optimistic about the new system. SG Secretary Joseph Vidulich believes turnout will be higher than ever before. Last year, more than 500 students voted in the fall elections, The Eagle previously reported.
Some members of the General Assembly voiced their concerns about technological difficulties and campaign violations. Larson raised his concern that it may be difficult to monitor candidates in the dorms. He questioned how they can be prevented from going door-to-door during election hours and pressuring their floormates to go vote online.
Ritter said campaign rules have been adapted to fit the new system. During voting hours, candidates are not allowed "to campaign verbally or hand out flyers or quatersheets in the residence halls. No one should be hassled at all about voting while in their dorm rooms, the laundry room, down in the lobby or anywhere in their residence hall," he said.
Board of Elections members will be looking for such activity in each of the dorms, Ritter said. He encouraged anyone who is hassled by a candidate during voting hours to file a complaint with the board by emailing boe@ausg.org.
Ritter said the online system is beneficial because it clears up any confusion about who students are allowed to vote for by presenting each student with a ballot tailored to their particular year and school. He also issued assurances that the online portal will be protected against fraud by allowing registered undergraduates to vote only once and by registering every vote to a recorded account.
According to Vidulich, this election will serve as a test run to see how the system works. He points out that election results will be announced an hour after the close of polls, offering much quicker results from previous years.
The Board of Elections will be tabling on the quad during voting days to offer assistance to anyone who encounters voting difficulties, Ritter said. A computer staffed by a BOE member will also be set up in the Cyber Caf?, he added.
