Voter turnout on the rise

The four candidates vying for the student body presidency incited a surge in the number of votes cast Tuesday.

In last year’s election, which was marked by controversy and caused students to question their faith of student government, 6,901 students flocked to the online polls to vote for their next president.

In what Board of Elections Chairwoman Heather Sidden called one of the “cleanest elections” in UNC history, many said this year’s turnout displayed a faith in the University’s history of student self-governance.

Former candidate Leigha Blackwell said she thinks she and her opponents presented a positive image in light of the illegal activities that surrounded last year’s elections.

“I think there was an increase in voter turnout because the lack of controversy restored faith in the election system, which encouraged students to vote,” she said.

Altogether, 7,264 votes were cast in the campuswide election, which included the race for student body president along with those for senior class office, Carolina Athletic Association president, Graduate and Professional Student Federation president, Residence Hall Association president and Student Congress.

Turnout has been on the rise since 2003, when 6,613 students voted in the student body president elections.

But the two student body president candidates who emerged as final contenders said this year’s number still came as a pleasant surprise.

Seth Dearmin and Seke Ballard, who garnered 2,789 and 1,902 votes, respectively, will campaign for an additional week until next Tuesday’s runoff election.

“I think (voter turnout) increased so much because the competition was really hardcore,” Ballard said. “The high turnout was a result of the hard work that the candidates put into their campaigns.”

Dearmin attributed the increase in voters to the candidates’ diverse platforms and to the determination of campaign volunteers.

“The turnout is a result of the people who were willing to sacrifice their time to help the candidate they supported,” he said.

In last year’s highly contested race, eight candidates campaigned for student body president, as opposed to the four candidates this year.

Sidden said she thinks more students voted this year because it was easier to manage the platforms.

She also said last year’s campaign season was too much for the general student body to handle, likely because it was hard for students to get a firm grasp on all of the issues.

Sidden said that a total of 7,264 votes still represents a small percentage of the nearly 26,000 students attending the University.

The board already has begun brainstorming ways to continue this upward trend in voter participation and is looking to play a more active role in next year’s elections.

“I hope it continues to go up in the future,” Sidden said. “I think students are getting more involved and are more informed about student government.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.