Unlike in past years, election night proved anticlimactic as relatively few GW students, or candidates for that matter, burned the midnight oil waiting for the announcement of the election results.
Traditionally, the Student Association held a party at J Street the night election results were tallied. This way, students who might not know much about the SA could learn about their student government in an exciting atmosphere. During the regular elections this year, no party took place.
The SA Election Committee will hold a party this Wednesday night at the Marvin Center as votes for SA president and executive vice president from this week’s run-off election are counted. Because the process of counting the votes will be a lot easier with only four candidates, throwing a party became a more feasible option.
Understandably, the Election Committees’ weighty task last Wednesday night and Thursday morning – counting paper ballots for SA, PB and MCGB one at a time – precluded its involvement in election night festivities. The fact that counting was done with observers was a very positive step. But something should have been done to let more students witness the democratic process in action, or at least so students could feel more involved.
Ultimately, the problems that led up to the use of paper ballots started with the Student Activities Center. Because SAC failed to contact the individual who usually programs the voting machines, the elections committees had to make due with paper ballots.
In the past, election night parties added to the visibility and accessibility of the SA. While holding a party for the run-off elections is a positive step, failing to hold a party for the regular elections only succeeded in further disenfranchising the GW community.
