Unopposed Movement for IUSA wins election after low voter turnout

After a 36-hour voting period, IU Student Association’s polls closed Wednesday making Movement for IUSA the unofficial ticket elect.

The total number of ballots cast was 458.

Last year, the Big Ten ticket, now the Big Six administration, received 4,811 votes alone.

“The goal of yesterday and today wasn’t to get votes,” Movement for IUSA president-elect Kyle Straub said. “Education was the number-one priority.”
Movement for IUSA ran unopposed, which was the first time there has been an unopposed ticket in five years.

The members of the ticket handed out thousands of flyers outlining their platform during the past two days, Straub said.

“This is disappointingly low, but it’s not surprising given that there’s one ticket,” IUSA Advisor R.J. Woodring said.

In most multi-ticket elections, the number of ballots cast ranges between about 7,000 and 9,000 votes.

“The number of votes could be and probably should be better,” Chair of Elections Commission Evan Farrell said. “A lot of people may have seen their efforts as futile.”

By the time the polls closed Wednesday night, Movement for IUSA had 86 followers on its Twitter account and 512 members in its Facebook group ­— 54 more members than the ticket received in votes. During their campaign, the candidates contacted at least 75 campus organizations and spoke to between 30 and 40, Straub said.

The last time one ticket ran, in the 2007 race, congressional elections gathered 908 ballots, but the executive ticket was canceled.

As a member of last year’s winning ticket, Straub said the night was very anti-climatic.
“There’s just no magic tonight,” he said. “Last year we were all waiting together, freaking out.” 

Voting took place at three polling locations around campus and was available online from 10 a.m. Tuesday until 10 p.m. Wednesday.

A team of about 50 Movement for IUSA volunteers manned the three polling locations, passing out flyers explaining the ticket’s platform and encouraging students to vote on the laptop computers they had set up. Volunteers worked in shifts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday due to the rain. 

“I give the elections commission credit for trying to continue with the election,” Woodring said. “Even though that didn’t turn out, they tried to give students a choice.”

The Movement for IUSA ticket is composed of President Kyle Straub, Vice President of Administration Patrick Courtney, Vice President of Congress Stephanie Kohls and Treasurer Casey Baker.

Movement for IUSA’s slogan was “Think forward. Vote Movement!”

Plans for the upcoming school year include an improved safe ride program, an e-reserve system for exercise equipment at the Student Recreation and Sports Center and  the Ora L. Wildermuth Center, and adding sustainable lights around campus and digital signage at bus stops.

Moving forward, as ticket-elect, Straub said he and the rest of his ticket will focus on solidifying their senior staff and releasing application forms for students to get involved with the administration.

“We want a very, very diverse group of people,” Straub said.   

The election’s official results are pending review by the IUSA Supreme Court following the expiration of the complaint deadline 4 p.m. today. No complaints have been filed as of Wednesday night, Farrell said.