Students to elect UA reps at polls today and tomorrow

Elections for members of the Undergraduate Assembly and University Council begin today and will continue through tomorrow. Undergraduates have the opportunity to vote for representatives within their school, but only positions in the College of Arts and Sciences and The Wharton School are being contested in this year's UA elections. Eighteen students are running for the 15 spots available in the College and nine students will vie for the six Wharton spaces. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has three representatives on the UA, but only two students running for them. And no one is running for the one available spot for the School of Nursing. Ten candidates are also running for the two University Council representative positions. Chairperson of Elections for the Nominations and Elections Committee Jim Strangio, an Engineering junior, said students in the Engineering and Nursing schools can conduct write-in campaigns to fill the empty spots. He added that he is hoping for a "higher voter turnout," despite the low number of candidates. "There is apathy about student government on campus," he said last week. "But I hope the election runs smoothly and fairly and I hope a higher voter turnout occurs." Last year, 23.5 percent, or about 1,540, of the eligible undergraduates voted in the elections. UA candidates said last night they are not sure whether there will be a large turnout. "I hope people come out to vote," said a UA candidate, who asked that his name not be used because of an NEC rule prohibiting candidates from speaking to the press. "But the small candidate pool is indicative that people aren't interested this year." NEC Chairperson Sharon Dunn said voting is even more important than usual in this election. "Every vote is very, very important, especially because of the number of candidates we have," she said last night. "I hope the cold weather doesn't stop anyone from voting." But students said last night they are not deterred by the weather, but by the UA itself. "I don't think [the elections are] really important," College sophomore Sean Lucan said. "I don't know what the UA does and the candidates who have been coming around to me seem like complete idiots. "It seems like we're going to be screwed either way," he added. Lucan said he is not planning on voting and did not know that elections are occurring today. Polling locations today are in the Hill House Dining area, the Quadrangle, Class of 1920 Commons and in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. Voting will take place between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. today. Tomorrow, polling will take place between noon and 5 p.m. outside Steinberg-Dietrich Hall.