Student elections see low turn out; returning officers maintain hopes

Dan Quayle, former vice president of the United States said, "A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."

With all 563 votes counted, the ARC Students for Change ticket swept the ARC Associated Student Body (ASB) Spring, 2010, General Election which was held April 20-21.

With an enrollment of nearly 40,000 students, 563 may seem like a low number, but according to Shaine Johnson, who received 454 "yes" votes for the position of president, this year's voter turnout is "double that of standard general elections."

"I am immeasurably grateful to my peers for electing me to serve as their president and top representative," Johnson said of his victory.

Seven officer positions and nine representative positions were up for grabs in the election, but according to Johnson, "The incumbent party was not challenged because we fulfilled the promises that we made to ARC students when we ran for our offices last spring."

Jeremy Palmer, who was elected vice president with 445 "yes" votes concurred with Johnson that this election was based on promised made and promised fulfilled.

"When we are sworn into office July 1, we will not only continue to work on the issues of textbook prices, internal reform and general advocacy, we will take on more of the issues that affect students," Palmer said.

Rounding out the ticket, John Throm was elected director of finance, G.Q. Dlamini was voted director of activities, Kindra Pring won secretary, director of legislative affairs went to Andrew Hansen, and Jeff Bellamy will be the ticket's new director of public relations.  These positions will last one year.

Nine student representative positions were filled as well.  Telitha Floyd, Paul Carson, Luba Pislar, Andrea Coudray, Joy Cordova, Narjisse Sarehane, Craig Bundy, Timothy Allen, and Todd Wilson will serve until their positions are up for re-election at the end of the Fall, 2010 semester.

Throm said, "The continuity of having several officers serving a second term really makes this council much stronger."

Last year's spring election, marred with controversy, brought approximately 1,000 voters to the polls, but this year's election was marred perhaps only by two days of rain.

Current ASB President David Fisher saw his one-year term come to an end with Johnson's victory.

"I'm excited to see Shaine get to work with this council," said Fisher.

"I completed 90 percent of what I set out to do and enjoyed every minute of it," Fisher added.