Public Vermin: The Problem with voting Season
Voting has opened & advocates are hounding down students.
posted over 10 years ago
Now that voting has begun, the SGA election season has reached its peak. Just like many of you, I have been hounded down by people advocating for one candidate or the other and this will continue on until Wednesday. So if you haven't been bothered or stopped yet there is still more than enough time for it to happen. From academic row to in front of the library and all around the dining hall during late night these advocates (well in my opinion they're goons) are there to convince (but most likely pressure) the candidate they're supporting.
Now I must admit I am friends with some of these goons and even some candidates and they aren't all terrible. Handing out flyers and cards to urge students to vote is one thing, but it is more than bothersome to have them follow you and shove an iPad in your hand to vote one way or another. Friend or not I would like to vote on my own accord and not with some person peering over my shoulder as I'm forced to make a choice on the spot.
So I'll finish with this. Allowing people to campaign by having students vote on the spot is a nuisance to students on the way to class or trying to grab a late night snack. In addition I would have to question how genuine those votes truly are. So for all those goons out there, I urge you to pull back and stop being abrasive. Put away your iPads and laptops and give students the chance to breathe and give their sincere vote.
EDIT: So apparently the campaigner is suppose to be at least 10 feet away while you vote if they give you an iPad or laptop.
Too bad that doesn't seem to be the case from what I've been seeing.
(edited over 10 years ago)
