Ballots sent out for trustee election

Ray Richardson is running for his fourth consecutive three-year term on the IU board of trustees. \nSeven other candidates are challenging Richardson this year for his seat: James H. Capshew, Mark GiaQuinta, Jerry Moss, Michael Shumate, Dr. Nina Smith and Sue Talbot.\nTrustee ballots for the 2001 board of trustees election were recently mailed to alumni earlier this month. About 350,000 ballots were mailed to domestic graduates, with an additional 8,561 ballots sent to graduates living abroad. Each candidate included a biographical sketch along with the ballots. As of yet, no ballots have been returned.\nBut Deborah Robinson, manager of Alumni Records and Reporting, said a large flurry of ballots is expected close to the June 30 deadline.\n"We recently mailed ballots starting with the coasts, and then we'll work our way into the interior of the country," Robinson said.\nThree seats on the board of trustees are elected by alumni, with the remaining six seats appointed by the governor.\nHarold Schaffer, the Facilities Operations and Renovation Officer at the Main Library, said ballots were sent early last week, and he expects a return rate running through the month of May on up to the deadline.\nSchaffer's responsibilities include overseeing the election and vote counting process, which Schaffer estimates will take three hours.\n"It's my job to validate the names on the envelopes of the voters," Schaffer said.\nLynn Coyne, president of Bloomington's Alumni Club, declined to comment on his predictions of the election, but offered his support.\n"Each alumni should vote as an individual based on their individual preference. I would encourage them all to vote," Coyne said.