The IU Student Association has reviewed its elections process, and changes are in motion. In response to the helpful push from the Indiana Daily Student editorial board, IUSA passed a resolution designed to make future elections more equitable and less biased.
As the official undergraduate student body government at IU, IUSA holds a great responsibility to its fellow students.
The resolution was drafted to alter the formation of the IUSA Election Commission to “encourage a self-sustaining and non-biased election administration.” It aims to reduce ticket-induced bias but still maintain voter turnout.
IUSA Student Body President Andy Braden discussed the changes of the newly-passed resolution.
“The focus of this congressional resolution is on creating an unbiased and legitimate Election Commission who can then craft their respective policies for the elections,” he said. “Our hope is that this group can then increase student engagement in elections and overall effectiveness of IUSA elections.”
In its resolution, the Election Commission must be a separate entity from both the IUSA executive and legislative branches. It must also hold a clear separation from the IUSA Supreme Court to avoid conflicts of interest.
The resolution also aims to ensure that campaign materials from all tickets and parties are made available to constituents and voters.
The editorial board is pleased with these positive changes to the election process of IUSA. In the past, the editorial board had been disappointed with the few accomplishments of previous ?administrations.
We are hopeful that this resolution will create a more open environment to future administrations and increase the overall effectiveness of IUSA and its election ?process.
“The first step in reforming IUSA elections is creating an open application and selecting a diverse, balanced group of Election Commission members who can fairly review this process,” Braden said.
The editorial board hopes that these changes will take student engagement a step further on campus. Braden said that the push for more opportunities for student involvement must continue. ?Students should be ensured by IUSA that they have a voice.
“I believe that if we keep offering students opportunities to become involved, IUSA will see an increase in student engagement as students realize that IUSA offers a chance to be heard,” Braden said.
As students, our voices deserve to be heard. Now, IUSA hopes to give all students the chance to do just that. This year, IUSA has focused on responding to problems such as mental health, cross-culture engagement and student safety.
Braden iterated that IUSA must focus on issues like these that are important to students and their overall happiness at IU.
“I believe that as students see their opinions being valued, they will be more excited about taking part in this process,” he said.
The editorial board encourages students to vote at election polls and express concerns, knowing that IUSA is listening. IUSA has been open with its intentions to improve its elections process and is taking steps to better interact with students on campus. In turn, students are encouraged to become more engaged with IUSA as well.
