Editorial: ASSU voter turnout an embarrassment

ASSU President Katie Wieliczkiewicz asked us to raise our election participation rate to 50 percent. To say we fell short would be an understatement.

We blew it.

Only 21 percent of students participated in the recent election.

At Seattle University, voting rates tend to hover in this area. We should never be proud that we managed to carry the tradition of low voting rates forward another year. Rather, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.

In the city of Seattle, voter participation rates in local elections are traditionally above the 50 percent mark that we can't even come close to.

We represent America's educated. If anyone should be aware of the importance of casting your ballot within a democracy, it's us.

Elections, especially elections at the local and even hyper-local level, are crucially important. Casting your vote in ASSU elections might seem like a hassle, another "busy work" entry on your ever-elongating to-do list, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The issues and candidates we vote on in these elections aren't lofty media figures selling vague promises of "hope" or touting impossible change.

Rather, these are local folk who, for the most part, aren't in it for the book deals or the television jobs, the libraries or the wax sculptures. Certainly, those running for election at Seattle U don't foresee these spoils in their near futures.

Candidates in local and hyper-local elections are typically there because they, at some point, saw a problem with the system or a hole that needed to be filled and they stepped up. These people sell real change: road improvements, community centers and public welfare.

In ASSU's case, elected officials creates programs to integrate the Seattle U community and get the university's name out into the "real" world. The cynic in you might question why things like tree lighting ceremonies or dances are important and the answer, ultimately, comes down to economics.

The world's great businesses understand the value of improving relationships between their employees. When members of an organization connect with one another on a personal level, they are proven to be more efficient and more invested in their work. They create better products and provide better services because of the accountability they have to each other.

Likewise, by improving relations among students, ASSU creates connections that see ideas through to fruition and initiates action. A school that fosters this community is one that sees success and gets attention. The more the world pays attention to Seattle U, the more your diploma is worth when you enter the job market.

Voting in Seattle's general election begins Nov. 8. We at The Spectator hope you will do your civic duty and participate.

Make us proud.