Candidates for MSA battle voter apathy

By Jane Krull

Daily Staff Reporter

The Michigan Student Assembly fall elections kicked off yesterday to a mediocre start.

As of 6:30 yesterday evening, 2,728 votes were cast, which is comparable to fall elections in previous years, Elections Director Steve Lund said.

Music sophomores David Jones and Joe McEachern voted yesterday because a friend of a write-in candidate reminded them to. "I think it is interesting that I wouldn't have voted if this dude wouldn't have reminded me," McEachern said. "I don't pay attention to posters and didn't know that elections were today."

With hectic schedules including classes, jobs and activities, many students simply forgot to vote. "I've been busy all day and didn't even think of it -- I intend to vote, though," Kinesiology freshman Erica Watts said.

Some students feel that the assembly doesn't effect their University lives and choose not to vote, Engineering freshman Paul Kammer said. "I'm tired of all these people coming to door asking me to vote for them," Kammer said. "I'm not going to vote cause I really don't care."

As the election comes to an end tonight, candidates continue to campaign and urge students to vote.

Independent candidate Dan Barrera is focusing his campaigning in the classroom setting. "In every class I write the Web address on where to vote and give a general overview of my campaign," said Barrera, who is running for an LSA seat.

The Blue Party election day plans are to make themselves visible around campus during the election. "We're out to meet people so they vote for us and not our posters -- we need to put substance behind our name," said Alex McDonough, who is running for an LSA seat.

Members of the Defend Affirmative Action Party were out in the Diag yesterday informing students about their party and the election, DAAP member Erika Dowdell said.

"We are reminding people to tell their friends and we're telling people to vote," said Dowdell, who is hoping to be reelected to LSA seat on the assembly. The Michigan Party is reaching out to students personally during the elections.

"We are talking to a lot of students and spreading by word of mouth," said party leader and candidate Doug Tietz.

Michigan Party member Eric Roeder, who is running for one of the three MSA engineering seats that are open, said he is concentrating his final campaigning on North Campus.

"It is the highest percentage of engineers of any of the dorms," Roeder said. "It is also nice to include North Campus because they sometimes tend to feel excluded."

Students can vote at www.umich.edus/~vote until 11:59 p.m. tonight.