You Win Some ULUse Some

Recent ULU elections show depressingly low turnout

ucl ULU ulu elections University of London

Just 1200 people voted in the recent ULU Presidential election as the campaign was hit by disappointingly low turnout- particularly given the numbers who voted in the recent UCLU referenda.

 

Whilst elections for London Student Editor and Vice-President did better, attracting just over 1500 votes each the election for Student Trustee saw an even lower turnout of just 1149.

In fact in the Presidential election RON managed to poll more than half the number of votes as the eventual winner, Sean Rillo Raczka- 438 to his 737.
 
As a result of the low turnout many people have questioned the representative nature of the elections. 
 
One 2nd year politics student told The Buzz “student politics is a total waste of time, it wouldn’t change anything”.
 
The student added “No one voted for these people but yet they claim to represent our interests. It would be crazy if people actually cared and the
Union could actually make a difference.
 
Voter tunout was greater for a recent UCL related election, a referendum on Malcolm Grant which drew over 3,000 students.
 
Chemistry student Martin Hart, voted in the referendum but not the ULU elections, saying “ULU just doesn’t have an impact on UCL. The referendum means much more to me”.  
 
UCLU elections are coming up and candidates vying for positions will need to do something to energise voters. Some big issues like the no-confidence vote get people talking. But others like student fees and anti-cuts protests seem to be alienating students.