Editorial: Becoming an informed voter, and why it matters

Opinion by Editorial Board
April 4, 2011, 12:29 a.m.

Voting for ASSU candidates is much easier and more convenient than voting in a national election. Students vote online from the comfort of their dorm rooms, polls are open for a full 48 hours and information about the candidates is readily available. Despite this, voter turnout in recent ASSU elections has hovered around 50 percent for the undergraduate population and is far lower for graduate students.

Many would argue that turnout is relatively low because the ASSU doesn’t have an impact on the day-to-day lives of students, but this notion is incorrect. If you are a member of a student group, or even if you attend an event hosted by one, you are benefiting from the ASSU funding process. The influence of the ASSU is also evident in something as simple as reserving an Old Union room — the current online system exists because, two years ago, an Executive administration created it.

But the ASSU has an impact beyond funding groups and launching its own initiatives — elected ASSU members can act as your lobbyists to the administration. For example, maybe you have a strong opinion on the new policy prohibiting the use of Row social dues for alcohol purchases, or perhaps you feel that stronger action needs to be taken to improve advising. Your ASSU representatives are well placed to translate your views into administrative policy change and they want to hear from you.

Because these issues are not directly under the control of the ASSU, we tend to think that the ASSU plays no role in them at all. In fact, the ASSU can and should be a strong participant in the administrative policymaking process. The Executive, Senators and GSC members collaborate regularly with the administrators that make these types of decisions. They know these individuals well, understand how their departments operate and are perfectly positioned to advocate on behalf of students. Administrators recognize that ASSU leaders are popularly elected and represent the opinions of the student body, and are almost always happy to incorporate ASSU input.

As you prepare to cast your votes on Thursday and Friday, the editorial board offers the following recommendations — not specific candidates to support, but characteristics to search for and questions to ask:

No. 1: Look critically at flyers. They are perhaps the most common symbol of Campaign Week, but frequently offer little or no information. Ask yourself if the candidate is actually proposing to address issues in a concrete way, or if he/she simply listed appealing buzzwords. Flyering is an easy way to avoid actual one-on-one campaigning, so be sure to remember candidates that take the time to have real conversations with you.

No. 2: Talk to candidates about their platform. Ask not only what they will do, but follow up with two important questions. First, how will they accomplish their goals? For example, if a Senate candidate wants to address sustainability issues, which tools does the Senate provide that will help them succeed? Second, how will the candidate know that he or she has successfully addressed the problem? There are dozens of new ASSU initiatives every year, but they are rarely evaluated to examine effectiveness or adjusted to be as efficient as possible.

No. 3: Keep experience in mind. There is a learning curve within the ASSU; students who have served in the Senate, GSC or Executive branch will tell you that it takes time and energy to get up to speed. Look for ASSU experience, or at the very least, knowledge of the institution. For Senate candidates, ask if they have attended Senate meetings. Do they know the Senate environment? For Executive slates, the time commitment has grown beyond that of a full-time job. Are candidates aware of this and are they willing to make the sacrifices (academic and otherwise) necessary to represent the student body?

No. 4: Find out what motivates them. This may be the most important piece of advice we can offer: try to learn why a candidate is really in the race, beyond the goals on a platform. Ask what they hope to gain through ASSU service and how it will enhance their Stanford experience. In the end, candidates with a good answer to this question are almost always the most effective.

The Editorial Board includes a chair, who is appointed by the editor in chief, and six other members. The editor in chief and executive editors are ex-officio members, who may debate on and veto articles, but cannot vote or otherwise contribute to the writing process. Current voting members include Editorial Board Chair Nadia Jo ’24 and members Seamus Allen ’25, Joyce Chen ’25, YuQing Jiang ’25, Jackson Kinsella ’27, Alondra Martinez ’26 and Anoushka Rao ’24.

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