SA uses Web to showcase Senate candidates

By KeAndre Worthy

Student Association Senate’s Tuesday and Wednesday elections have a new feature: Instantly accessible candidate profiles.

The SA worked with EveryVote.org, a website founded by alumni Mitch Downey and Vincent Schramer, to provide a way for organizations to post information about candidates running for election. The candidate’s profiles are online at everyvote.org/elections/41/.

“We started with the idea to do this for big government but realized it would be way more useful for college students and their government,” Downey said.

EveryVote is designed as a civic educational tool for college students as a way to prepare for the political process in bigger elections.

“The website shares candidates’ info, goals and districts they are in,” said SA election commissioner Susan Richard. “[It’s an] easy way to get voters informed because obviously executive elections are easier because candidates are limited and well known, but … each district can have unlimited amount of candidates that may not be well known.”

The project started in the summer and is ready for this week’s SA Senate election.

“It’s free and more efficient, [and an] easy way to do elections with big organizations,” Downey said. “The website can be used by any organization that needs it.”

SA plans to update its main page later as its next project.

The website is compatible for tablets, phones and computers, so even if students don’t own smartphones or a laptop they have options to view the information.

“The goal was basically to try new ways to get the students more informed about SA,” Richard said.