There are a lot of change on the horizon at the University, and we as students deserve to have our opinions heard.
This year more than ever, it’s important to understand the prospective changes facing the University, take the election seriously and exercise your right to vote.
Each term, you pay $191 in the student incidental fee as a full-time student, which the ASUO’s budget finance committees dole out annually to student groups and contracts. With more than 21,022 students enrolled full time over three terms, that’s a total of more than $14 million allocated every year.
Your vote in the election determines which of your peers spend your money, through the ASUO Executive, Senate, Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee, Department Finance Committee, Programs Finance Committee and EMU Board.
It’s our responsibility as students to hold our student government accountable for how they give out that money and to make sure the University hears our opinions about important campus issues.
So vote for the candidates you think will accurately represent you and best spend your money, regardless of slate.
It’s our privilege, power and right as students to vote in these elections, and regardless of whether you’re into politics, it’s your money and your University.
The ASUO gives students the power to voice their opinions to the administration, and the 2011 ASUO primary ballot contains measures on a variety of issues that affect all students, such as campus safety, the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group and the structure of the University.  
Although most of the ballot measures do not institute a direct policy change, voicing your opinion on these matters can help inform your student government to act in accordance with what the student body wants.
• Measure 1 asks whether students want to maintain OSPIRG as a presence on campus and use student fee money to do so.
• Measure 2 asks whether the ASUO’s combined major program budgets, which fund student athletic tickets, Lane Transit District and other student groups, should be capped at a 7 percent growth annually. This is different than the current system, which mandates that each of the four program funding committees may not grow individually by more than 7 percent.
This may be the most important ballot measure this year because it directly affects how your student fee money is spent. Putting an across-the-board cap on growth would effectively allow the funding committees to shuffle money, allowing some budgets to grow when some remain at the same level or decline in funding. Voting “yes” on this ballot measure would allow the ASUO greater leeway with funding. Voting “no” would ensure the current rules remain in place for student group funding.
• Measure 3 asks whether students favor re-establishing a public post office on campus.
• Measure 4 asks whether students want the University to remain a public institution with tuition oversight, which alludes to the New Partnership’s governance plan that would establish a governing board instead of the current state board of higher education.
This question is highly misleading, however, because it is asking students to make a judgment on the New Partnership without naming it. The New Partnership does not propose a private University, but the question of tuition oversight has perhaps not been answered in full. We assume all students care about keeping tuition low, but this question improperly balances the New Partnership against tuition stability.
Voting “yes” essentially says you don’t support the New Partnership, while voting “no” would mean you do support it.
• Measure 5 tells the University whether students favor keeping the Department of Public Safety in its current capacity, without the power to arrest, nor the power to carry guns or Tasers. Voting “yes” would mean you don’t support the Campus Policing Initiative that would establish a sworn and armed force at the University.
• Measure 6 asks whether students want to ensure the freshman senator position is open to all freshmen.
For candidate interviews and election information, read the voter’s guides on DuckWeb, in the Emerald and in the Oregon Commentator.
The primary election ends today at 5 p.m., and casting your vote takes a few minutes.
Do your research, log onto DuckWeb and voice your opinions.
It could make a big difference in the future of our University.
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