Only 2,200 students have cast a vote in the 2014 Associated Students Inc. election as of Tuesday — barely more than one-third of the number of students who voted in the spring 2013 election.
Kim Tabari, ASI assistant director of student involvement, said that only 6.16 percent of the student body had voted as of 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Although the turnout has remained relatively low since the general election opened Friday at midnight, Tabari said she thinks there will be at least 3,000 votes by the time the polls close at 11:59 p.m. today.
“Students typically wait until the last day to do things,” Tabari said. “I am pretty confident that we’ll hit 3,000 in the next 24 hours.”
Tabari said that she does not see any specific reason why this year’s voter turnout may be different from last year’s, saying that ASI candidates have participated in the same campaigning events that take place every year, such as meet and greets, where candidates connect with other students and share their platforms.
“The candidates have certainly been putting themselves out there like they usually do,” Tabari said. “There has been a lot of Facebook activity among the candidates recently, as they try to get more students to vote.”
Like years past, the candidates have covered designated areas throughout campus with campaign posters, passed out flyers and buttons, and visited different organizations and groups of students in efforts to promote themselves.
In addition, a daily voting reminder from ASI has been e-mailed out to students over the past five days. ASI election guidebooks, filled with voting instructions and candidate biographies, have also been placed throughout the University Student Union.
Tabari said she would like to see more people participate, but at this point, “it’s really up to the students.”
Freshman sociology major Alexis Cruz said a lack of information is what is stopping her from voting.
“I would love to get involved, but I have no idea what the hell is going on,” Cruz said. “There is no one to guide me.”
Some seniors attribute the low turnout to the fact that they are on their way out.
“Honestly, I am about to graduate, so I don’t really care,” senior criminal justice major Diego Madelana said.
Freshman aerospace engineering major Jose Tapa said he was not even aware that elections were taking place on campus.
“I haven’t [voted] and I wasn’t even informed that there were elections, so maybe that’s why,” Tapa said.
Some of the students who did vote said that they believe participating will affect the programs and services they are interested in.
Junior economics major Luis Morales said his reason for voting is that he liked the candidates who said they would provide more support for clubs.
Wilson Reimer, senior computer engineering major, said he voted because he wants to help improve the campus. He said he is in support of some of the candidates’ goals, including the creation of more efficient study centers.
“I want the campus to thrive,” Reimer said. “I think [students who aren’t voting] are unaware of the power ASI has and the effect they have on their Cal State Long Beach experience.”