DeKALB | The Student Association voted against a resolution that would allow students to vote in SA elections online Sunday.

Proponents of the bill thought it would increase voter turnout, which dwindled to barely three percent of the NIU’s student body in last spring’s executive election.

“I think this is a great idea to improve voter turnout,” said John Rauch, District 3 senator.

Other senators, including Jim Stetson, questioned whether a system would be secure, since students could hand off login codes in order to allow electioneering.

Brent West, the SA’s information technology director, denied that anyone would want to rig an SA election, saying no one would benefit.

The SA controls a budget of more than $1.3 million, allocated to more than 200 campus student organizations.

Although West described the system he intended to create as being both the cheapest – its primary cost would be man-hours – and the safest.

West said that, unlike an outside contractor, he would have greater knowledge of the existing NIU Information Technology Services framework.

Numerous senators still felt critical of the system.

Brett Kryska, District 4 senator, was skeptical of the system, in part due to its lack of a viable paper trail.

“Being as cheap as possible is not the issue here. Money cannot be an object with security of these elections,” he said.

The SA President echoed Kryska’s skepticism.

“Wow, this is a really bad idea.” said Adam Novotney, a vocal opponent of the Internet voting system, when allowed time to speak before the senate on the matter.

Questions revolving around the paper trail, who would supervise the election places – which could top 35 locations on campus – and possession of access codes and passwords led opponents of the legislation to win out against supporters, with a final vote of 10 for, 12 against, and three abstentions.