This election season, let’s do something different: Don’t allow one slate to take every position in the ASUO. Although there are a few slates out there, each one of them shows the same characteristics as in previous elections.
Slates are undemocratic. Instead of encouraging voters to focus on the platforms, experience and qualifications of the individual candidates running, the “heads” of each slate would hand UO students a piece of paper, have them assume each name listed will act the same once in the ASUO, and then vote them all into office. The impact of this is that elections turn from a popularity contest into a full-out race for Prom Queen. When candidates are put on a slate simply so an executive ticket can get votes from an individual’s respective “group,” the winner is decided by who can get to the major voting demographics first, not who is the most qualified candidate. Also, when you vote an entire slate into office, you are not ensuring the best representation of all students. Instead, what you get is one ideal, one mindset – something the UO should not strive for.
Slates also discourage independent candidates, who are generally more passionate and qualified, from running. When facing a slate headed by an executive ticket that brings in more donations than an ASPAC or Student Senate candidate can alone, the thought of running a successful campaign seems, and in most cases is proven, impossible. The trend of “slate politics” in ASUO elections is detrimental to the very goals the Elections Board espouses.
Related to my last point, slates (in contrast to independent candidates) are historically inefficient and unqualified. The high turnover rates in the Senate in the past few years are a testament to the unfortunate consequences of voting in slates. This past school year saw lower turnover than the two years previous, due in part to a push last spring to vote for independent candidates.
Lastly, and probably not most importantly, slate politics make the ASUO look crony-ish and kind of a joke. The impression is given that when everyone goes in together, they will only be loyal to each other. Again, this is not necessarily the case every time, but the possibility of this happening is increased with the use of slates.
So this week, don’t take a piece of paper and vote down it because it’s easy or even because you support the executive ticket running. Oppose slates – vote independent candidates.
Amy Higdon is a University student