Sitting in the Lounge of the UniCentre, I can't help but notice certain posters and wonder whether or not a short campaign benefits the "front-runner" or the outsiders. Needless to say, the question does merit certain consideration.Most SFUO elections last three weeks, whereas this one - from the moment candidates were allowed to start campaigning 'till the last vote is counted - will only have run for 10 or 11 days.
It is hard to fathom this race generating anything near the dismal 12.1% the General election was able to gather, if only for the fact that there is only one race. Under normal circumstances, referendums get students out and it safe to say that some people go vote only to get a say on the referendum questions. I remember my first year, I went to vote for one particular candidate and for one particular referendum question. As I was at the ballot box, I felt like I had to vote for the other candidates. For the other questions/candidates, I checked off the names that seemed the most "familiar", or people I might have seen, posters, etc.
This election will be different. Every single student that goes to vote, will be doing so to choose between the three presidential candidates. No one will be voting for something else and simply check off a recognizable name at the ballot box.
Given these circumstances, was a 10 day campaign really the best strategy for the SFUO? It seems as though they did not expect a race.
DEBATE! DEBATE! DEBATE! UNICENTRE! 11:30AM!
Photo courtesy of Jason Chiu. The SFUO2 Blog™ exclusive.
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Breaking news update - Wassim Garzouzi, Redacteur en chef de la Rotonde, is spreading a table cloth with Fulcrum News Editor Nick Taylor-Vaisley.
Discussing questioning order - or strategies to throw the candidates off-balance?
Only time will tell.
Legitimacy is not only about voter turnout...
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