Monday, May 15, 2006
Almost every day last May I talked to voters, those who, by paying their De Anza Associated Student Body Fees automatically had the power to elect their student government representatives.
Then, as a candidate, I poured my soul into the campaign, walking up to students and sharing a brief overview of the DASB and how it directly infl uenced them. I explained how they paid $6.50 towards it every quarter and how that money was put back into direct student services.
Two things became very clear. Many of the students didn’t realize their power, and they didn’t care. The polls were too far, some complained to me, glancing at the booth 200 feet away. “We don’t have time,” other said, despite the fact that voting was open more than 10 hours a day for a week.
I was perplexed. Does someone have to reach 40 years old, own property, and witness the ill effects of bad politicians before they make an effort to exercise one of their most basic democratic rights: the vote?
“Apathy will be your greatest difficulty,” I unhappily told a candidate.
La Voz notices the less than stellar voter turnout every year and fi nds different causes: the elections committee, the candidates, the failures of the elections committee, and the bad campaigning of the candidates.
The real truth is that 18 to 25 year olds don’t vote – for anything. They’ve become renown as the bracket that politicians ignore.
De Anza students: DASB candidates won’t ignore you. They can’t. You alone have the power to elect them into offi ce. A voting booth will be set up in the walkway between the L-Quad and Main Quad and a voter’s “cheat sheet” of all the candidates will be available.
Break out of the pit of apathy and go vote for which ones you feel will represent you best.