With the polls opening today for Student Council, Honor and University Judiciary Committee elections as well as a variety of referenda, the University finds itself caught up in election fever -- or not.
Second-year College student Abi Hymes said although she is aware of the elections, she is not sure how she intends to vote.
"I know that elections are happening because of Facebook invitations to join groups and the Cav Daily," Hymes said. "But as to voting, I feel that it is very arbitrary. People vote for who they know. If you see five names and if you haven't read anything about those names you haven't heard, you just vote on names you know."
First-year College student Sanjiv Tata said he finds it hard to get to know candidates beyond name recognition.
"I want to be an informed voter, but the ways to find out things about candidates other than their names are not well publicized," Tata said. "For example, I don't think the debates are that well publicized. There might be a reminder on the U.Va. Web site, but if you want let people know, there must be a better way to do it."
Tata also said he believes the burden of publicity falls on both the University of Board of Elections, which administers the election process, and the candidates themselves.
"As the group which arranges elections, it falls within the [UBE's] jurisdiction to publicize it more. The voting process is shadowy," he said. "But then candidates also need to promote better. The Facebook groups are just platitudes, there is no real substance to them."
On the other hand, second-year College student Andrew Spisak said he finds there is information available for those who seek it.
"It is difficult that all you see are names and posters so it can be difficult to vote on what they stand for," Spisak said. "But UBE makes information available for students. They hold those debates and have a Website."
The UBE Website includes a voting guide which contains candidate information regarding their previous involvements, endorsements and -- for some candidates -- a questionnaire regarding their goals. However, some students said they do not find this information sufficient.
"I don't really think information out there is that helpful," first-year College student Crystal St. Bernard said. "When it says what they were involved in, some people might not even know what it is about. People will say 'oh it looks good,' but they don't know whether those prior roles will help."
Another issue brought up by the students was the significance of their vote.
Spisak said he hopes his vote will count.
"I mean I suppose it will make a difference," he said. "As much as it makes a difference to vote in any election."
Tata said he believes his vote will matter due to the indifferent nature of University students.
"I have to say that I think my vote will matter, because I don't see a huge percentage of U.Va. voting," he said. "I am a first-year, but just from the feeling I get the student body is quite apathetic to voting. So in the big picture, my vote will be important."
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