Editorial : Contested race attracts student involvement
The percentage of voter turnout in the Student Association elections this week is nearly at that of Onondaga County in this year’s local elections.
As of Wednesday night, 24 percent of eligible voters, comprised of the 14,671 undergraduates, have voted in MySlice for several referendums and the next SA president and comptroller. As for the county, it experienced its lowest voter turnout on record at 25 percent.
One of the primary factors that led to low student turnout in the past, and a possible reason for the county’s low voter turnout, is uncontested races.
The vibrant contest between Taylor Carr and Dylan Lustig serves as a reminder of how contested elections draw out student participation and foster a stronger democratic consciousness on campus. No matter who wins Thursday night, both candidates did SA and Syracuse University a great service by bringing the intrigue of student government to the forefront of people’s minds —if only for a few minutes as they voted.
It is hoped that the highly competitive race will have a lasting effect on student participation and bring awareness of SA.
The Daily Orange Editorial Board strongly urges undergraduate students to exercise their campus right and vote for their favored candidates in the SA elections on MySlice before the end of Thursday.
