Students Exercise Right Not to Vote

The results are in. Harvard students aren't voting.

The 1998 midterm Congressional elections registered the lowest participation rate nationwide since 1942. But at least turnout hit double digits in all states. This year's Undergraduate Council (UC) elections saw only 2 percent of voters heading toward the polls in Adams House, where eight students voted. In Winthrop House, home district of council president Beth Stewart '00, only 5.6 percent of the residents exercised their right of representative democracy. Across the College, a total of 1,032 students voted, nearly half of whom were first-years.

Why the low--roughly 16 percent--turnout? Two reasons. First, a computer glitch in the student-run elections caused a week-long delay and a revote. Second, many of the House races were uncontested and even undercontested--there weren't enough candidates to fulfill the one representative per 75 students requirement. That meant success for many write-in candidates. Half the Quincy House winners were write-ins, who then declined to serve.

Nonetheless, the council leadership is optimistic about the upcoming year. "Remarkably, the elections have not impacted the council itself--we have a council filled with highly qualified and enthusiastic representatives," commented President Stewart.

Aside from this year's technical difficulties, UC elections have struggled with legitimacy in recent years. Some students question whether geographically based democratic representation makes sense when the locus of most student extracurricular activity has moved outside the House framework. Ethnic organizations, publications, athletic teams, and performance groups draw high participation all across campus. Although House-committee leaders dispute the contention that House spirit is eroding, few council members' agendas are House-specific. For example, the new "fly-by" bag lunch program in Loker Commons, serving more than 700 students daily, was spearheaded by two river-House residents despite the obvious benefit to Quadlings.

A more effective counter to apathy may be personality. In the social elections for senior class marshals, turnout has hovered around 50 percent, despite strict restrictions on voting times and locations. Even the campus-wide popular elections for UC president and vice-president, where students can vote at their convenience via computer, usually draw about 30 percent. And UC presidential elections are beginning to take on relatively sophisticated tones. Already gossip floats around political circles about who is working for whose campaign, which groups will or will not endorse which candidates, and which candidates have the best strategic advisers. This year's "cocktail" party kickoffs and large campaign-staff strategy sessions suggest that College-wide elections may begin taking a more prominent role in campus culture.

~ J.8.L.

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