Associated Students, Inc. is seeing low student turnout so far for information sessions about participating in next spring’s ASI elections.
“We’ve had three students overall show up for the sessions,” ASI government elections officer Karla Estupinian said. “I’m not sure if we’re advertising the events well enough to bring more students in.”
Estupinian said factors such as not having enough signs across campus publicizing the sessions and a lack of students attending afternoon classes in the fall semester are contributing to low attendance. Aside from a banner advertising the event in the University Student Union, ASI has only placed signs in the area near the SSPA building to get students informed about upcoming meetings.
Estupinian added that students being focused on the general election wasn’t a factor in the low turnout for the meetings, but she hoped that more students would feel the need to mobilize and get involved in student government at CSULB.
“I expected a better turnout, especially with so many students thinking about the elections happening locally and nationally,” she said.
The sessions, which kicked off Nov. 1, are being used to get CSULB students interested in student government while giving them a chance to learn about the election process. Topics covered in the sessions include types of positions available within the different branches of ASI and how to file for candidacy.
“It gives them a chance to find out what we do and how we do it,” Estupinian said. “They’re usually surprised by the depth of ASI’s work.”
Although elections are held during the spring semester, the fall semester is being used as a time for potential candidates to start thinking about campaigning and running for positions within ASI, Estupinian said. Currently, the sessions are informal, with more detail-oriented ones being planned for the start of the spring 2017 semester.
“Spring is usually when we have more interest in these events,” Estupinian said. “We see a bigger turnout when people realize that ASI elections are just around the corner.”
The spring election planning events see an average of 30 students participating, Estupinian said, with many attending the afternoon sessions after getting out of class.
The final three information events for the fall semester are planned for Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m. in USU 304, Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m. in USU 305 and Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. in USU 303.