We’ve given our opinion on who you should cast your vote for in the Student Government elections (hello, it was in the opinions section and is online), but now it’s your turn to decide. Consider this a friendly reminder that whether or not you vote, SG has control of nearly $21 million that’s taken from UF students from student fees. So, maybe take five minutes out of your day to vote, so you can have some control over where that money goes. And if you have voted, congratulations, we appreciate it.
In every election, people complain about voter turnout, and it’ll most likely happen again. The reporters at The Alligator have given you the tools you need to be informed on the candidates and political parties. If you aren’t going to read up on the candidates to vote, at least do it to understand what’s happening on the Facebook group “Swampy memes for top 10 public teens.” Now that you’re educated, and you have your own opinion on the parties, you might as well go out and vote.
Understanding how much power SG actually has is overwhelming. They have the power to make a study space 24 hours (the wrong one, but hey, it’s still power). They’ve implemented blue lights across campus, a step in the right direction for safety. And they have the power to allocate how much money your favorite student organization is going to get next year. SG has power, but so do you.
We want to help you to make your own informed opinion. What party you align yourself with is your prerogative, but we understand there are a multitude of influences to sway your opinion during election season. If you’re one of those people trying to decide how to vote, just take an extra second to make sure you’re voting how you want to.
Unfortunately, online voting is still not an option here at UF, so we can’t offer you another alternative to physically walking to a polling site, which is a major oversight of SG for anyone who is unable to get to a physical polling site, be it from distance, disability or any other reason. For those of you who are lucky enough to be at UF in person, you could even think of it as “exercising” your civic duty. See, we’ve even resorted to dad jokes to try to get you to vote – there is no lower point. Don’t let our effort be in vain.
Today is the last day to vote, and there is no way you can forget it. There will be a ton of people in Impact Party and Inspire Party shirts milling around campus today with phrases that will almost certainly include some kind of word play involving “Mike” and “Chou.” We’re not the only ones who can appreciate a good pun.
Not voting today is easy, but you still have to live with the consequences of your actions. You don’t get to complain when SG does something you don’t agree with if you are choosing not to vote. It’s the same as any regular election cycle. You all preach about voter turnout in midterm and primary elections and how millennials don’t vote, but when it comes to actually showing up to the polls, you find every excuse not to. UF is supposed to be a school that other schools can look up to. There’s no denying there are major fundamental issues at UF, and that there are things in need of change. Don’t let complacency stop you from making a real difference with your vote. Vote with your conscience. You’ll even get a sticker to add to your laptop.
