Student Association Reporter

Even though the Student Association Senate election was completed Wednesday, the winners will not be announced until today.

Election commissioner Lynette Jackson said the election ran smoothly, without problems and with a low margin of error.

“Lynette and the vice president have done an excellent job, and everyone should be proud of the SA officers,” said Kevin Miller, SA director of governmental affairs.

In spite of smooth runnings, the announcement of the new senators will be delayed until today.

“For the election, it has to be all or nothing,” Jackson said.

The delay hasn’t seemed to affect some of the candidates.

“It doesn’t make a change in what I am doing,” district two candidate Laura Pollock said. “I guess it’s not a terribly big deal. I was going to go in tomorrow to find out anyway.”

District two candidate Brad “Cleanhouse” Kuhn shared the same sentiment.

“It’s OK,” he said. “It’s just surprising that they don’t have the results with the low voter turnout. I guess they didn’t want to call all those people so late.”

Wednesday marked the last day of the senate elections. Like Tuesday, it was met with a slow turnout because of the lack of election awareness.

On Tuesday, the polls took a total of about 380 votes. The final vote count ended at 658.

The election judges at each station all felt the same about this year’s senate election.

“It’s just been slow,” election judge Chuck Hammette said. “[The students] weren’t aware of the election.”

Election judge Sharon Roland agreed.

“A lot of students just don’t know these candidates,” she said.

The low turnout has been attributed to a lack of campaigning and notice of the election.

“Students didn’t vote because there was no information on the candidates,” election judge Suzanne Garab said.

As explained by A.M. Garab, a three-year election judge, there was a notebook last year at the Founders Memorial Library voting site with all the statements and positions of the candidates. This year there was no notebook.

Candidates were, however, out campaigning around campus.

District five candidate Lonnie “Yogi” Pollard was in two spots — Chick Evans Field House and the King Memorial Commons — handing out flyers.

“I am out here because we need more of a voice in the dorms,” Pollard said. “Plus, a lot of people didn’t know about about it. It was just word of mouth until Monday.”

Another candidate, campaigning at the library, was Kevin O’Kelly, from the fourth district.

“There was a low voter turnout [Tuesday],” O’Kelly said. “We just need to give the students more of a reason to come out, so here I am.”