IUSA ticket kicks off campaign

IU Student Association elections are months away, but candidates from one ticket – Hoosier – have already begun campaigning, even though they haven’t officially filed their candidacy.

Already the party has announced its platform and launched a new Web site in hopes of rallying support and increasing awareness of student government.

On Monday, party representatives handed out free coffee and flyers, and today they will do the same from their stands near the Kelley School of Business and Ballantine Hall.

“We are starting early to spread the word and get out the vote, of course,” said junior Abby Kaericher, Hoosier presidential candidate. “The earlier we start, the more people we can get involved, the more diversity on our campaign. The more people we can talk to, the more people can spread our ideals.”

IUSA Vice President Dan Sloat said the Candidate Call-Out Meeting, where parties officially declare their candidacy, has not been announced.

“We think it is important that this year’s election will be clean and competitive,” said
Jacob Turner, vice presidential candidate of Congress. “We have already talked to people on the other tickets, and it is going to be a hard but clean fight.”

The Hoosier ticket plans to keep the lines of communication open with the students through its newly launched Web site, VoteHoosier.com. The site will be one way the public can monitor campaign spending.

The Hoosier ticket believes its Web site is a defining element of its campaign. The candidates say it distinguishes them from the current IUSA administration, led by IUSA President Luke Fields.

“I think the current administration has done a good job, but there is definitely room for improvement,” said junior campaign manager Ben Schulte.

Candidates from Hoosier ticket said they want students to know what IUSA does and to feel more involved, Turner said.

“About a week or so ago, the IUSA Web site was blank,” Turner said. “It was hard to figure out what IUSA is, how to get involved and what they are doing.”

With a pending elections code change, which aims to eliminate personal online voting, the Hoosier ticket said this year’s election could be significantly different and believes those changes could have an impact on the voter turnout.

If the proposed elections code is approved, students will no longer vote online through their personal computers but will have to vote at designated polling stations.

The polling stations would be located throughout campus and in most of the residence halls, but members of the Hoosier ticket said that move could dissuade potential voters.

“It will definitely lower voter turnout. It will always be easier to vote online,” Turner said. “It is easier to control violations of the elections code, (but) it will disenfranchise voters because they will have to go to polling stations.”

Previous Hoosier administrations spent $15,000 to bolster online voting security,
Turner said, adding that those efforts should not be thrown out.
The Hoosier ticket thinks the elections code holds students to unrealistic expectations.

“It is hard enough to get people to vote for presidential elections,” said junior Jeff Fraser, candidate for vice president of administration. “To go between classes and even stand in line for this will be very unlikely.”

And although Fields said it seems premature to begin campaigning, he is excited by the upcoming election.

“I’m glad to see students are energized about the election,” Fields said. “My concern is that candidates have all the information they need so they can run informed.”