BREAKING: Election Day is Here and the Results Totally Matter, I Guess
by Noah Stevens
After a tumultuous campaign season, polls for this semester’s American University Student Government elections are scheduled to open at 12 PM Eastern time, closing on Thursday, April 16th at 12 PM. Results are expected to go live at 9 PM Thursday. A representative from AUSG told the Rival AU in an email that this semester’s candidates were, “some of the most exciting,” that have run in several years, and promised that the election, “definitely matters,” this time, despite a lack of changes in recent years.
Current members of Student Government are encouraging students to vote despite the recent virus-related displacement of most of AU’s population. “Basically, we want to show the student body that nothing, not even a global pandemic that has killed thousands and completely disrupted our way of life, can stop meaningless bureaucracy and empty gesturing,” one representative noted.
The level of excitement among students is unclear. When reached for comment about his thoughts on the platforms of those running for AUSG positions, Cameron Frye, a sophomore, responded, “What?”
Other students could not be reached for comment, with some citing unstable internet connections, an overwhelming sense of dread, and feeling as though they were living in a “nightmare world.”
Amateur political analysts working for AU Dems suggest that voter turnout this semester will stay consistent with previous numbers, which have seen roughly an eighth of the undergraduate population casting their vote. While American University has some of the most politically active students in the country, previous on-campus elections have received such dismal turnout because of a feeling of disillusionment with the kinds of people who want to get paid a stipend to maintain the status quo. “I’ve been here for three years and can’t remember a time when AUSG did something good for the students,” an anonymous third-year literature major told the Rival. “Seriously, they get a couple grand a year to be figureheads for the administration so we have someone to yell at.”
Although some students have expressed distaste for AUSG in general, it’s undeniable that others see voting as their civic duty. “I’ve made it a habit to just vote for the first name on the list in every category,” said junior Kristina Shaw. “I do the same thing in real elections, too. I’m more of a protest kind of person anyway.”
Notably, this semester’s ballot includes a referendum on divestment for the first time in six years. At the time of this reporting, it seems likely that students will return to campus in the fall to face a self-interested administration and Student Government eager to build their résumés.