La Voz

Issue date: 4/24/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Dan Sealana De Anza students filled the voting booth shortly before the polls closed Monday night. Voters were provided with booklets which had names and photos of candidates, as well as a short statement written by each candidate.

Monday, May 15, 2006; Posted: 9:39 p.m. PDT


183 students voted during the first day of De Anza College's student elections Monday, according to election committee chair, Anna Callahan.

Callahan, who volunteered at the voting booth from 5 p.m. to when the polls closed at 7 p.m. Monday, said she was impressed by the number of voters. "I feel the turnout is exceptional for this time of day," Callahan said. "Usually the campus is pretty dead."

Jordan Eldridge, the Inter Club Council chair of programs, worked several hours Monday at the election booth. Eldridge said a common reason students gave for not voting was that they didn't know anything about the DASB senate.

Eldridge said that anyone who is undecided about voting needs to remember that the DASB senate is responsible for allocating funds provided by students. "They're spending your money," Eldridge said. "They're allocating over a million dollars, spending the money you're paying them.

Eldridge said that some students need to be motivated by poll workers to vote. "Sometimes people walk by and they're not going to vote until you ask them to," Eldridge said.

ICC chair George Smith, who was also working at the voting booth, said that voter turnout appeared to be greater this year. "I think it's doing better than last year," Smith said.

Shortly before voting concluded Monday, students from Natalie Bitton's General Psychology class came to the voting booth. Bitton offered extra credit to students who went to the polls.

A minimum of 665 students must vote during this year's elections in order for the results to be ratified.

"If we keep up the rate [of voters] we had today, I think we will be fine," Callahan said.

Last year, the election had to be extended a week due to low voter turnout.

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