Following an inadequately advertised pre-election process, 17 students last week walked onto the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate uncontested. The Senate did not even manage to fill the 21 seats that were available to rising sophomore, junior and senior students, meaning that Tufts Elections Commission (ECOM) will have to organize another election in the fall to fill the empty spots.
This election is not the first time in recent semesters that ECOM's failure to properly advertise has resulted in low election awareness among both candidates and the student body. Last spring, ECOM received criticism for putting the community representatives referenda on the TCU presidential elections ballot at the last minute without advertising or properly informing the student body of its contents, thus failing to abide by ECOM bylaws. More recently, ECOM came under fire last semester for lack of advertising, as well as miscommunication with freshman Senate candidates regarding election procedures. According to many freshman candidates, ECOM failed to make candidates widely aware of the mandatory general interest meeting and was unclear and uncommunicative regarding deadlines.
This semester's apparent lack of interest in the Senate seats further suggests that ECOM's methods for promoting elections and generating student interest are not working. ECOM officials said that they created a Facebook event, emailed student center directors and student leaders and put up flyers in order to advertise the candidates general interest meeting.
These methods are flawed and do not properly reach out to the entire campus. Emailing current leaders and inviting students on Facebook only ensures that those who are currently involved or associated with ECOM members will be well-informed about the elections. This represents a tiny percentage of the undergraduate population, and the lack of widespread advertising excludes many students from the opportunity to run for the Senate simply because they are not aware of their ability to do so.
ECOM needs to find ways to reach out to all students, not just those who are already familiar with the Senate and leadership positions. The body needs to table in the Mayer Campus Center and dining halls and make the election process exciting for students. An email should also be sent to the entire student body informing them of the upcoming election so that no person misses out on the opportunity to get involved.
ECOM members receive a stipend of $500 per term they serve, and they should be held to the standards that this amount merits. Sending out emails to leaders so that they can do their own recruiting and inviting friends to a Facebook event is not sufficient or effective, and it does not represent an amount of work proportionate to what they are paid.
ECOM holds elections at different times each semester depending on resignations and the need for special elections. Office of Campus Life Director Joe Golia suggested that ECOM hold elections only twice a year and have an "election season," about which students are completely aware and informed. This consistency would help to heighten election buzz among some students, particularly juniors and seniors who have been through several elections.
Students are often quick to berate the Senate for inaction or for creating controversial policies. The way for more voices to be heard and for more ideas to be put into action is to diversify the Senate and get directly involved in the decision-making processes. Putting aside any criticism, the Senate has the ability to make significant changes that affect the entire Tufts community, and there is no reason that any student should be prevented from running due to lack of awareness, particularly when there is a paid body of students in charge of ensuring that this does not happen. ECOM must revamp its system for advertising and conducting elections so that this type of event does not occur in the future.
