Students have a chance to elect UNM’s future undergraduate and graduate student leaders during the ASUNM and GPSA elections, but few actually vote.
Since 2008, no more than 11 percent of main campus undergraduate students voted in ASUNM spring elections, according to data from ASUNM Elections Adviser Debbie Morris. Last year, 10 percent of main campus graduate and professional students voted in the GPSA presidential election, GPSA President Lissa Knudsen said. She said voter turnout was unusually low last year, but the number of students who vote depend on the issues candidates address.
“When there is a lot of controversy or hot-topic issues that people are interested in being addressed, voter turnout increases,” she said.
ASUNM President Laz Cardenas said ASUNM election turnouts have increased, and he hopes to heighten student awareness of election dates, locations and procedures.
“On the day of the election, I’m going to be sending out a message to all the undergraduate students saying, ‘Today is election day. Vote at these locations,’” he said. “And the Student Senate will be doing outreach at various locations on campus to talk about the upcoming election.”
Student Josh Madrid said he doesn’t plan to vote in the upcoming elections.
“The changes (ASUNM) makes don’t really affect me,” he said. “I don’t think they really do anything.”
Voting for ASUNM leadership is important because it allows students to have a say in University governance, Cardenas said.
University spokeswomen Susan McKinsey said ASUNM presents reports to the regents. She said ASUNM represents the student body on important administrative decisions.
“They are a regent adviser, and they report in every month to the executive cabinet,” she said. “… I would say no major decision is made at the University without seeking the input of the students, and the best way to do that would be through ASUNM.”
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