After months of sign-waving, door-to-door canvassing and candidate forums, it all comes down to a vote.
As Alachua County residents rush to the polls today to decide who will represent their interests in city government, candidates are hoping to get a boost from students.
Pam Carpenter, the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections, said student turnouts for elections have been historically low in past elections with the exception of last year, which saw a spike due to Charter Amendment 1 being on the ballot.
But Carpenter believes that the number of candidates running for mayor and District 4 City Commission will inspire citizens to vote.
“If you think about it, how many of our national leaders started locally?” said Carpenter, who hopes to get a 25 percent turnout from registered voters. “These are the people who you see at the grocery store, restaurants and gas stations ... They have the most impact on day-to-day local operations.”
The candidates for Gainesville mayor are Craig Lowe, Don Marsh, Richard Selwach, Ozzy Angulo and Monica Leadon Cooper.
Marsh, who runs a window cleaning business, emphasized the importance of the student vote in elections.
“If you’re 20, you don’t have a smaller amount of votes than someone who’s 50,” Marsh said. “Just because I’m twice your age doesn’t mean I have twice as many votes as you. You count as much as I do.”
Selwach, the owner of Best Jewelry & Loan Pawnbrokers, said that students have the obligation to get involved in the political process.
“If you have a good idea, we want to hear it,” he said. “If you don’t do your part, we’re just going to have a mediocre city.”
Angulo, who quit his job at Taco Bell to concentrate his efforts on his campaign, said he will reach out to UF and Santa Fe College student governments if elected.
He said that an open dialogue between city and student governments will help bridge the gap between students and the rest of Gainesville.
Cooper promised that if elected, she would protect students from the Cabot-Koppers Superfund site and the construction of the biomass plant, which she believes is a detriment to the quality of life for students and residents alike.
Lowe, who as a city commissioner has the most political experience of all the mayoral candidates, has relied heavily on the help of student volunteers throughout his campaign.
In an effort to bring more students out to vote, his campaign will be offering rides to the polls from campus.
“I’m hoping that every student in Alachua County, every single one, will turn out,” he said.
