This Thursday, the Brandeis student body voted on candidates for various positions in the Student Union, including the position of the president of the union. David Herbstritt ’17 beat Christian Nunez ’18 by two votes for the seat and will subsequently serve as the president of the union through the 2016-2017 academic year. Winning by a mere 0.19 percent of the votes cast, a majority of student voters actually voted against Herbstritt; he just received the largest total percentage of voters. This election highlighted the extent to which every individual voice can make an impact on our campus. In this situation, one person’s vote quite literally could have swayed an entire election.

 Around 1000 votes were cast for each of the elected positions. Last year, 890 votes were cast in the presidential election while 1053 votes were cast in this year’s contest.

 While this Board has been critical of the student body for their apathy in regards to the Student Union, notably less indifference was shown in the results of this election. This Board applauds the student body for doing their due diligence and voting on their elected representatives. A higher voter turnout could be due to a number of factors. The presidential competition between an experienced “insider,” Herbstritt, and the insurgent “outsider” candidate from the Ford Hall 2015 movement, Nunez, undoubtedly drew interest and excitement to the election. This election featured candidates who had been exposed to most of the student body through their experiences and were not simply names on the ballot. 

Additionally, both Herbstritt and Nunez were strong candidates with effective ideas who were able to campaign effectively. Both were able to use the Student Union debate to successfully lay out the differences between their platforms.     

Clearly, the novelty and excitement surrounding the presidential election encouraged not only strong voter turnout for the position but a high voter count overall for the secondary positions as well. While future elections might not feature similarly higher profile candidates who excite the student body, every election is important and requires substantial voter participation. It is imperative that students continue to turn out in higher numbers than previous elections, which can be swayed by a single vote. 

Many students complain about the inefficiency of the Student Union, but elections serve as the primary outlet to express this discontent. There is no better way to advocate for an enhanced Student Union then to help elect officials. The Student Union has the potential to implement change only when large margins of voter turnout lend them legitimacy as representatives of the student body. In order to properly represent students, the student body must be proactive in determining which candidates to select. High voter turnout will help lead to a Student Union that more accurately represents the Student Body.