The trials and tribulations that have accompanied this year's Student Government Association election season may not be over, but the campaign season has come to a close. Polls opened this morning, and voting is now underway to decide the next slate to lead SGA.
Ballots have already been cast, yet Cardinal Impact presidential candidate Beth Cahill said her slate will continue with business as usual these final two days of the election season.
"You keep doing what you've been doing, but you do it at a faster pace," Cahill said. "I think you're working harder, and you're putting a lot more into it."
Elections Board chairman Marco Pretell-Vazquez agreed this is likely the moment when each slate will work "harder than they have all season."
"This is the time when they're going to win or lose," Pretell-Vazquez said. "The last impression is totally key."
Cardinal Collaboration presidential candidate Nathan Meeks said his slate is taking a different approach toward reaching undecided voters. He said his slate's initial campaign efforts were geared more toward large campus organizations, and that they now hope to reach students on an individual level.
"We've been focusing a lot on getting support from whole organizations, and when election time comes, that time is over," Meeks said. "You just hope you did the best you could with those large organizations, and now it's time to get back to basics."
With three slates campaigning simultaneously for the last week, both Pretell-Vazquez and the presidential candidates are confident students will participate in the election.
University Coalition presidential candidate Kerri Cropper even speculated that a larger number of voters will turn out than last year - largely in part to three slates competing.
"I think that's been an excellent situation. The more variety the better," Cropper said. "You really get to pick who you want in office, and we're all very different slates so they really get a choice."
Meeks speculated this election to be Ball State's first in 12 years to feature three slates. As a result, Pretell-Vazquez did not hesitate to consider this one of his most unique experiences during SGA election season. Pretell-Vazquez said he conceded the first week was challenging after being forced to hold a second nomination convention but, with the help of the Elections Board, he said this election has proven to be a success so far.
Pretell-Vazquez also was quick to credit each slate for running clean campaigns, which he admitted made the Elections Board's "jobs much easier."
"All the slates have been very compliant and run their campaigns very well, so I think students should be excited to elect their new SGA leaders come Monday and Tuesday," Pretell-Vazquez said.
Candidates have not gone without their fair share of scrutiny, but Meeks said nothing unanticipated has occurred since stepping into the public eye.
"Everything I've seen (during campaign season) I could have predicted," Meeks said. "The insults, everything is to be expected - it's all part of the campaign, I guess."
Through all the adversity, all three slate presidents agreed their respective groups have become closer than ever as they march the campaign trail together. Campaigning by all three slates has been done entirely together, and Cahill said that has resulted in a lot of cohesion among Cardinal Impact candidates.
"We have the best chemistry out of group of people ever, and on top of that this whole process brought us that much closer," Cahill said.
As campaigns make one final push toward reaching undecided voters, planning is already underway on how potential celebrations may go. Meeks said Cardinal Collaboration will have a small intimate gathering, while Cardinal Impact is still working on organizing a results party. Cropper joked that University Coalition will finally have time to sleep before correcting herself.
"We're just going to keep doing what we've been doing," Cropper said. "Sleep can wait another year when we're out of office. Tuesday isn't the end of it, it's just the beginning."
SGA electionsBegins: Monday, 7:45 a.m.Polls close: Tuesday, 6:45 p.m.Results announcement: Tuesday, 9 p.m. live on NewsWatch (Cardinal Vision 57 or Comcast 61)Additional information: E-mail notifications will be sent to every student inbox. Links to vote will also be featured in numerous SGA promotions, as well as by each respective campaign.BSU.EDU/VOTEBSU: Voting opens at 7:45 a.m. Monday and closes at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.
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