As election day for Syracuse University’s Student Association approaches, some SA presidential candidates have expressed concern about the number of students who have voted in the election.

Voter turnout was at 12% as of Tuesday night — a 7% drop from last year’s total turnout. Voting, which is done through MySlice, will end Thursday night.

Presidential candidates Mackenzie Mertikas and Ryan Golden said they expected the turnout to be much higher because SA has worked over the past year to increase its promotional material and visibility.

“I really thought that we would’ve hit 20% at this point,” Mertikas said.

Golden said he expected more voters because of SA Public Relations Co-Chair Torre Payton-Jackson’s efforts to boost SA’s social media presence.

Both Mertikas and Golden said it’s important for students to vote because SA represents student interests. SA uses the student activity fee to fund registered student organizations, Golden said.

“We’re the student representatives for the university and we are who the university has decided to represent the student body,” Golden said. “Now it’s time for the student body to decide what they want that to look like.”

Mertikas said that, in the remaining days of her campaign, she will urge students to vote because the president acts on behalf of student opinions.

Presidential candidate Jalen Nash, who works as a features copy editor for The Daily Orange, said in an email that he was not available for an interview because he will spend the rest of the week engaging with students. Golden and Mertikas said they have spent the election season reaching out to different student organizations about how to best represent them.

Mertikas said she and her vice presidential candidate, Sameeha Saied, recognize that they cannot represent every student at SU. She said wants to let the students speak through them.

“If we were to be elected to president and vice president, it’s not about us,” Mertikas said. “It’s not about pushing forward our agenda, it’s about pushing forward the ideas of students.”

Golden said that, while he and his vice presidential candidate, Kailee Vick, are not the best representatives for students of color because they are both white, their No. 1 goal is to create a coalition of student leaders with backgrounds different than theirs.

“We need to involve other organizations on campus that are just as passionate about the issues that affect the student body,” he said. “And Kailee and I have promised that if we win, we are including every student organization that wants to be included in the conversation.”

Published on April 10, 2019 at 11:52 pm

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