Elections: Did Anyone Actually Care?

Last week campus was plastered with banners and posters in preparation for the Union elections. With no wall or railing left uncovered it was impossible not to notice that the elections were underway. UEA was in full political swing.

More people than ever voted in the Union elections this year. A staggering 3,041 students voted to decide who should represent them, almost a thousand more than last year.

But what drove you to vote? Has the excitement that swept campus during the US election lasted this long? Have the candidates stepped up their game? Or do you feel that the Union has been letting you down? We asked you for your opinions:

Second year politics student Lily Muir says she voted this year because she felt more involved as a second year student. She said: “I have more awareness of the University now”. She feels like she should exercise her right to vote as she didn’t last year.

But some students aren’t having any of it.

Francesca Meale, a second year History of Art student, said: “I didn’t vote because it was just a popularity contest.”

Similarly, another History of Art student who didn’t wish to be identified, said: “I voted because my friend was running.”

No railing left untouched!

Despite the surge in students who voted compared to previous years, the turnout to vote remains low. Roughly 20% of students voted in this Union election, up by 8% from last year, but still a pretty meager number.

Students told us the electoral process seemed too time-consuming because of the voting format, which required students to rank candidates in preferential order.

Sarah Holly, a second year law student, was put off voting because she said there was not enough accessible information about candidates. “It was difficult to make an informed decision about who to vote for because you couldn’t just vote for the person you wanted, you had to put the candidates in order, I felt like I had to research each one individually on their Facebook pages to actually be able to vote in a fair way.”

So what do you think? Does the voting process need to be changed to ensure more voters next year? Or is it simply a popularity contest, with students being pushed to vote because their friends are running?

Let The Tab know in the comments box below!