Referendum debate may see online vote

By Marcelle Richards
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

The Undergraduate Students Association Council approved Friday
10-0-0 a special election for a programming referendum.

The referendum would raise student fees from $7.50 next year to
$8.50. In either case, the fees will still be lower than the $51
students pay now.

Voters will be given the option to vote “yes” or
“no” May 29-30. The chancellor will make a final
approval of the referendum language, which may be clarified by the
council before being submitted.

The council will meet Tuesday to continue discussion and vote on
whether the election will take place online or in paper ballot
form.

The election board proposed an online election to cope with
limited resources and “voter fatigue.”

Human resources and scanners from the Bruin Card office, used in
the paper election, will not be available, said E-Board advisor
Michael Cohn.

Additionally, the chance of getting the usual 20 percent voter
turnout is slim, since voters have already had two elections, said
E-Board Chair Matthew Kaczmarek.

A third election may attract more voters if the option of an
online ballot, already used by the Graduate Students Association,
is implemented, Kaczmarek said. The GSA met the 10 percent minimum
voter turnout for the first time in years last spring when they
switched to online ballot.

Several council members at the table were opposed to the idea of
online elections, raising concerns about voter turnout, security
and alternatives.

Academic Affairs Commissioner Bryant Tan was not convinced the
online ballot would ensure a 20 percent turnout.

Cohn then cited that External Vice President Evan
Okamura’s special online election in December 2000, when
former EVP Portia Pedro was forced to leave office for failure to
prove USAC academic eligibility in time, attracted more voters in
one day than on any election day earlier this month.

Internal Vice President Kennisha Austin was concerned about
security, but Cohn said the ballot would be safe, since all the
template is already in place from the GSA election.

President Karren Lane brought up concerns of computer
availability. Council members suggested using computers in Ackerman
Union or the government computer lab.

The USAC meeting will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. in 417
Kerckhoff.Hall.