Editor,
The recent homecoming election has me thinking about the ASUNM elections, which are held later this fall. Once again, we will see our student government elections dominated by slates, groups of 10 candidates running collectively, and we are not likely to see individuals running for office.
Why are we less likely to see individuals running for ASUNM office? There exists a fundamental bias in the ASUNM election system that favors running as a group rather than running individually. A member of a slate receives the benefit of the advertising of the entire group, while an independent candidate can spend $200 at most. Every member of a slate can thus receive the maximum benefit of $2,000, in effect, contrasted with the paltry $200 maximum for an independent candidate.
In addition to the monetary disadvantages of running independently, there is a manpower disadvantage as well. A member of a slate automatically gets nine other campaign workers working for the benefit of the group, in addition to any other volunteers that wish to assist on the slate, while an independent candidate must find his or her own base of support and campaign volunteers.
The fact of the matter is that slates ruin our elections, and they do so by discouraging diversity in our ASUNM candidates and stifling competition. Slates only have 10 spots, making them inherently exclusionary entities; not just anyone can join a slate. You must fit a certain profile and win the approval of the other slate members. ASUNM is our student government. ASUNM should be inclusive rather than exclusionary.
ASUNM should be encouraging diversity in its candidates rather than allowing the domination of its elections by slates. When it comes down to it, slates aren’t even recognized by ASUNM — only individuals may be elected — but the Election Code is vague when it comes to groups campaigning. If individuals are the only entities who are recognized by ASUNM, then it follows that slates are not to be recognized in ASUNM elections.
If we are to have fair student-government elections, we need to have more diversity in our candidates, and the present system of slates is part of the problem. We need to demand as a student body either that individuals be given the same resources as the slates when running for ASUNM office, or we need to do away with slates altogether, preferably the latter. I call upon everyone contemplating running for ASUNM senate this fall to run as an independent to bring diversity to our student government and send the message that ASUNM belongs to the students, not the slates.
Spenser Owens
UNM student
