MSA captures record turnout in fall election

When students started giving away drinks from a keg and free pizza on the Diag yesterday afternoon, it looked like there was a party going on.

Actually, there were two.

The Friends Rebelling Against Tyranny Party and the Blue Party were handing out promotional items in an effort to encourage voting for the Michigan Student Assembly and LSA Student-Government fall elections.

Polling sites opened Wednesday and closed at midnight last night. More than 4,071 students cast their votes for MSA representatives, and at least 2,421 students voted in the LSA-SG elections. MSA Rules and Elections Chair Mark Sherer said final voter turnout statistics and election winners are scheduled to be announced Sunday.

"This is one of highest voter turnouts we've had for fall elections in the past three or four years," MSA Election Director Mehul Madia said. "I think it says a lot about the student body and campus as a whole. It shows that they're interested in making a difference by electing people who will make a difference."

The FRAT Party distributed root beer from a keg that party members had set up on the block 'M' in the Diag's center.

"We thought it represents our party well," said FRAT Party candidate Sara Sweat, an LSA junior and the only female member in the party.

FRAT Party Chair Ray Howell agreed.

"Free beer on the Diag represents the fun-loving attitude that our party embodies," he said.

BP members gave away pizza slices and compact discs courtesy of Virgin-EMI Records.

"It's a visibility issue," LSA junior and BP candidate Sarah Pray said. "Pizza can usually bring lots of people. We want to hear what students have to say and we also want to tell them about us."

The Defend Affirmative Action Party did not have any promotional items, but party members handed out fliers to students who passed through the Diag.

Independent candidate Kym Stewart, an LSA sophomore running for MSA, also handed out fliers on the Diag.

"I introduced myself to as many people as possible because I really wanted to know what my constituents were about, and I wanted to let them know what I'm about. I ended up talking to less people, but I wanted to be more personal than just shoving something in their face," she said.

Candidates focused their activities on Central Campus, but the assembly also set up a polling site in Pierpont Commons to accommodate North Campus constituents.

"In general, many people have been voting by paper ballots. Now there are only two paper sites left, and it's probably easier to vote online," LSA-SG Election Director Megan Hungerford said of the low North Campus turnout.

But some students found the paper polling sites to be convenient.

"I just happened to be walking by, or else I probably would have voted online," Engineering junior Anish Shah said.

Engineering senior Dylan Heldsinger said he voted to support his personal ideologies.

"I think that affirmative action is a good thing, and I want to help DAAP get more involved in University politics," he said.

- Daily Staff Reporter Caitlin Nish contributed to this report.

Election turnout

- More than 4,071

students voted in this semester's Michigan Student Assembly

elections.

- 2,249 people voted in MSA elections last fall.

- More than 2,421 students voted in this semester's LSA-Student Government elections.

- 1,127 people voted in LSA-SG elections last fall.

- The assembly will release election results Sunday.

11-19-99