USAC referendum fails due to low turnout

By Jenny Blake
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

Because voter turnout did not meet the minimum 10 percent
requirement, the 2002 Undergraduate Students Association Council
Programming Referendum did not pass.

USAC conducted an online election last week from May 29-31 in
hopes of passing a referendum to increase student fees.

Even though 82 percent of voters were in favor of passing the
referendum, turnout fell short of the minimum requirement by a
little over one percent.

Only 267 more votes were needed to pass the referendum. Of the
2,129 students who participated in the election, 1,753 voted in
favor and 374 voted against the referendum.

Low voter turnout may be attributed to voter fatigue, low
election publicity and ninth week stress, said Campus Events
Commissioner Ryan Wilson.

“After the last two elections, people were probably just
tired of voting,” Wilson said.

Wilson also said that election publicity may have suffered
because the council was distracted by budget negotiations and ninth
week demands.

“It was very difficult for people to pitch all of their
enthusiasm and effort into publicizing the election,” Wilson
said. “We were relying on the online system and mass e-mails.
We really should have canvassed the campus with referendum stuff
and that really didn’t happen.”

The referendum proposed an $8.50 increase in the mandatory USAC
membership fee of $24.09 that students pay each quarter to help
support campus programs and services.

Due to budget cuts and a recent decrease in the mandatory
Ackerman Student Union fee from $51 to $7.50, next year’s
council has upward of $30,000 less to work with than it had this
year.

The referendum was an attempt by USAC to make up for lost
funds.

“I don’t want to cut back on transportation,”
said 2002-03 Community Service Commissioner Suzanne Yu.
“I’ll have to cut back on other costs like office
operation and retreats.”

Yu said because the referendum did not pass she will have to put
more work into her budget proposal and seek outside funding to help
pay for costs next year.

Council members still hope to get the referendum passed next
year.

“I’m disappointed that the referendum didn’t
pass,” Wilson said. “But it’s definitely a
long-term goal of mine ““ I think its something the campus
really needs.”