Abroad students can vote at SMC
By NICOLE HADDAD
Saint Mary's News Editor
Beginning with this year's student body elections, Saint Mary's students studying abroad will have the opportunity to vote for candidates during the elections. According to student body president, Crissie Renner, candidates' platforms will be posted on Web sites and students will then e-mail in their ballots.
In case of a run-off, abroad students will not again. Instead, they will use a ranking system in the primary vote, whereby they rank the candidates by first, second and third choices.
Although students abroad will have a voice in student government for the first time, there is concern that the voting system will not be anonymous because it is conducted through e-mail.
In addition, students will not have the opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions, their opinions are based solely on the posted platforms and previous knowledge of the candidate.
Despite these problems, many students felt that the most important thing was that they are given this opportunity to be a part of the campus while oversees.
"It's only fair that the option is available to every Saint Mary's student and if she doesn't feel she wants to be revealed, she doesn't have to vote, but every Saint Mary's student should have the opportunity," said sophomore Anna Lentz, who just returned from studying a semester in Rome.
"I think more students are interested in voting than are in keeping anonymity," said Renner.
Cathy Canetti, a sophomore who also recently returned from Rome, agreed.
"It's more important that we get to vote than that it is anonymous," she said. "The Rome students are going to be on campus next semester, and next year these people will be representing them and it's important that these students are part of the decision making because it's their school too."
Some disagreed, arguing that students won't take the time while abroad to inform themselves on the platforms and make and an educated decision.
"Well, the reason I didn't do an absentee ballot is because I knew nothing about the platforms ... and if I didn't take the time to research before I left I don't know that I would have taken the time to read the internet platforms either," said sophomore Erin Moran who went to Rome last semester.
All News Stories for Tuesday, January 23, 2001
