Campus Exercises Right Not to Vote

The results are in from the Undergraduate Council elections: students aren't voting.

As in previous years, low voter turnout was rampant in this year's council elections, many of which were uncontested.

Holding the record this year for lowest voting rates were Adams House, with 8 students voting; Dudley House, with 2 students voting for the one unopposed seat; and Winthrop House, home of council president Beth A. Stewart '00, with 20 students voting.

Since 1997, participation rates dropped from 18 to 1.99 percent in Adams, 12 to 2.6 percent in Dudley and from 9.6 to 5.3 percent in Winthrop.

The council's constitution and by-laws allow for one representative per 75 students.

Council officials chalked up the low voter turnout to student alienation from the council.

"I personally believe there's a disconnect between the council and the student body," Stewart said. "I think the council has gotten rid of its removed, aristocratic, debating-society image, but we have to further bind ourselves to the student body."

Students were more blunt.

"In my opinion, lack of voter turnout occurred because people seem to think that the council is a living joke, that it doesn't have a particular influence in their lives," said Jeffrey E. Zinsmeister '00, a Winthrop resident. Zinsmeister, who dropped out of the race too late to remove his name from the ballot and won the uncontested election, said he plans to resign from the council immediately.

In addition to the council's perennial struggle to engage students, some voters said they lost interest in the election after last week's computer glitches delayed the final vote.

"I didn't even think about it," said Mimi Cheng '00, an Adams resident. "It doesn't really impact us that much."

Opponents of randomization, the College housing policy that has assigned upperclass students to the Houses by lottery for three years, initially blamed Harvard's policy for eroding House spirit and causing voter apathy. But House Committee leaders disputed this view.

"I certainly don't think the low turnout was due to anything like lack of House identification," said Bom S. Kim '00, vice president of Winthrop's House Committee. Winthrop House is one of the tightest House communities I know."

"In general, students are apathetic towards the election process, especially after the failing of the first election," said Adams House Committee Chair Frank E. Pacheco '99. "In Adams House, there wasn't really a competition for the slots."

Council members cited the uncontested elections as a key reason why students didn't bother to vote.

"None of them were competitive races, which is the first reason you're going to have low turnout," said council Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00. "There's no incentive to go out, talk it up, tell people why you're running."

Others blamed the low turnout on factors specific to the Houses, noting Dudley's status as a graduate student and off-campus undergraduate House.

"In the last three years, Dudley has always had a hard time having candidates run and getting people to vote," Cohen said. "It's basically a House in name only. "It's very hard to communicate with people in Dudley."

Winthrop residents have a different reason not to vote for additional representatives, Kim said.

"One reason for the low turnout may be that most people here simply didn't hear about it, and also we feel pretty represented with our very own Beth Stewart at the helm, and we know she's a very good council president," Kim said.

New council representatives voiced concerns that the low voter turnout would spin into a vicious cycle.

"As unfortunate as this situation has been, my fear is that it will irrationally increase apathy and cynicism in the student body," said Adams House representative Eric M. Nelson '99, who is a Crimson editor.

Others questioned the council's legitimacy outright.

"The [Undergraduate Council] is only as strong as students behind it, and the council can only really represent the students who take part in elections," said John R. Lavy '01, a new representative from Winthrop. "Maybe the council just doesn't have the authority and influence that it thought it had."