Just when we think Student Government Association is getting better, something comes along to make us think twice.
The election for 10 at-large senators, out of a pool of 12, began Thursday and ends today at 6:45 p.m. That's fine and dandy. It's great that students are getting involved — at least there is one actual SGA election this year.
Then again, something always has to go wrong, right?
Hopefully you weren't expecting to find out any information about the people you will be electing to represent you in SGA, because what do you see when you go to Ball State University's Web site to cast your ballot? You see the glaringly obvious omission of information, platforms and photographs for these people. You wouldn't know who they were from any other stranger walking down McKinley Avenue. Homecoming king and queen ballots manage to include photos and organizations, so we know it's not impossible. Even if someone who wasn't involved in SGA wanted to vote, how can they vote responsibly? Instead, everyone is having to blindly select these candidates. The lack of information is turning people away.
It's not usual for there to be more people clambering for position in SGA than spots available and it's the first time a senator election has been held in a while, so it's a little understandable that it's unfamiliar territory for SGA. Yet, it has to have happened before at some point and there must be some sort of policy in place for this sort of situation.
SGA talks about wanting to be taken seriously. But do they really want to be? Lottery or popularity contests, or whatever you want to call it, are no way to gain respect. The only people who will vote in this election are friends of those running or other SGA members. But maybe that's they way it was intended to play out, because there is only really one day to vote.
The e-mail encouraging students to vote for senators was sent through the Ball State Communications Center in the afternoon. That doesn't leave much time to make a decision. And SGA didn't release the names until Wednesday night, making it impossible for any media outlet to properly report on these candidates.
But, then again, what kind of informed decision could you make with only a list of random names to choose from?
If you are going to draw out the election as long as they did, you might as well make it worth it. Why not have had a question-and-answer session or a debate sometime this week and hold the elections at the beginning of next week? It's unlikely many Ball State students would have attended these events, but at least it would have provided a chance to meet the people who are supposed to be representing the student population, and the Elections Board could have shown they at least made an effort.
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