Starting today, third-year college students Steven Reinemund and Micah Schwartz square off in an election for Student Council President for the second time in the last week.
The election was forced into a runoff because the difference between Schwartz and Reinemund's vote totals was less than 5 percent. In the first balloting, which ended Wednesday night, Schwartz received 2,039 votes while Reinemund received 1,860.
Voting in the runoff begins today at 8 a.m. and will continue until 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Without the informed retraction proposal on the ballot, turnout is expected to be significantly lower for the runoff than in the first election.
"Runoff elections always typically have very low voter turnout," Student Council President Abby Fifer said.
Schwartz and Reinemund both said they expect lower turnout, but neither thought his campaign would be hindered by the lack of participation.
Schwartz said he expects only the most knowledgeable students will vote in the runoff, a scenario he believes will help him.
Reinemund said he was glad for the opportunity to talk to more students as a result of the runoff.
Reinemund's campaign has centered around expanded dining services and a Web board for students to make suggestions to Council.
"I feel the dining needs on Grounds have not been dealt with appropriately or adequately," Reinemund said.
He is suggesting food carts in Cabell, Thornton Hall, Clemons Library and Hereford and allowing students to use Cavalier Advantage cards to pay for food at basketball and football games.
Schwartz downplayed the significance of Reinemund's proposals.
"I think they are good ideas," Schwartz said. But "they aren't important enough to revolve a campaign around."
Reinemund also said he hopes to encourage more students to use the Corner Meal Plan because he thinks this would allow more restaurants to give bigger discounts through the plan.
Schwartz offered competing ideas for aiding the University. He said he thinks his proposal for online course evaluations would help students determine what classes to take and help the University determine which professors deserve tenure.
Schwartz said he hopes to use any excess funds from the University bookstore to fund late-night parking validation at Clemons library.
"We have this library that is open 24 hours a day, but it is not very accesible," Schwartz said.
Reinemund said he also wants to continue discussing course evaluations and parking validation, but called into question the feasibility of Schwartz's proposals.
"Those are both very important issues," Reinemund said, but added that the problems will be "very difficult to fix" in a one-year term.
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