The Undergraduate Student Government campaigning season came to an end when voting was closed midnight Friday. On Monday night, USG officials announced that Mike Goodman and Frank Sasso won the presidential and vice presidential election.
Despite the electronic voting system’s swift ability to declare the election results, USG chose to wait almost four days to announce the winners – in the basement of the Ohio Union Monday night.
Although this year had the second-highest voter turnout USG has ever seen, their refusal to provide immediate election results has taken away from their momentum of interest among those who voted.
This is the second year USG has used an electronic voting system to tally the results so the voting process is easier, reaches more students, is accurate and can be counted instantaneously; there is no reason for the delay.
USG officials say they held off announcing the winners to allow any claims from candidates. Usually after the election is closed all candidates have the opportunity to file claims against other teams they believe broke campaign rules. In addition, candidates also have the chance to appeal all claims. However, this year the clams were significantly fewer than last year’s, again leaving less reason for such a delay.
Another excuse for the delay was USG’s desire to inform all the candidates before the public. However, it is hard to believe USG could take 12 hours to inform each person. All the calls can be done in 15 minutes. The candidates should not have been hard to reach, either. Each one was probably sitting beside the phone, biting his or her nails and waiting for the results.
USG is supposed to work for the students and keep them well informed about the activities and actions that it carries out. Its activities should not take place behind closed doors.
For an organization that advocates students to participate within the community, it is peculiar that they waited three days to disclose the results and did not actively inform the students of when and where the announcing of the victors would take place.
Along with the failed public relations attempt of disclosing the location for the announcement, USG has scheduled its inauguration ceremony during the worst time – the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, when many students will not be around campus.
USG should not expect student participation if it does not mold itself to the students’ needs. USG’s actions make it look like a private social club that does not want to include or represent the students.
