The importance of voting is something The Prairie feels strongly about. In previous editorials we have discussed the importance of voting in national and statewide elections, but student government elections are something that directly affects the student body of West Texas A&M University and voting in these types of elections is just as important. The officers elected to student government represent the rights and interests of the student body and to encourage you to participate in these elections we have organized a list of five reasons why you should do so.
- It’s your right.
As a student of WT, voting in student government elections is easy and all it requires is a Buff ID number. If you are currently enrolled and have a student ID number, you qualify to vote and it’s your right. Many students feel like their voices aren’t heard in national and statewide elections, but even exercising your right to vote in a student government election is important to the basic understanding of the political system. Also, in a student government election, your voice is much more likely to be heard due to the sometimes low turnouts.
- Your vote matters.
Recent history has shown that an election can be won by just a handful of votes, and your voice matters when it comes to deciding who will represent the student body. If you want someone who you feel best addresses your concerns for this campus, raise your voice in support of that candidate. You could very well be a deciding factor.
- Senators represent your major.
Every college at WT has senators that represent them in student government. These senators’ job is to not only do their best to provide policies that benefit the entire student body, but to also benefit their specific colleges also. Some of these senators can vote to approve a type of funding for a certain program that a college is putting on, or even for renovations or new technology for the senator’s college. Voting for senators benefits not only you, but your major as a whole.
- Help shape policies.
Voting also helps shape policies in the fact that students get the right to vote on certain amendments proposed by the student government. Some of these constitutional amendments can effect spending and it can also strengthen the power of some forms of judicial review. Policies are shaped by how you vote, whether it is for a certain amendment to the school’s constitution, or even if it’s to vote in a certain senator that you believe will fit policies that best fit you as a student.
- It helps get you ready for the real thing.
Politics can be a very intimidating area for students who don’t really know much about candidates, political parties and their agendas. Taking part in a student election is a great way to familiarize yourself with the way elections work and you are able to see what are essentially multiple grass-root campaigns built from the ground up.
Voting is a basic need for an organized system of checks and balances to work smoothly and properly. Without voting, people’s voices are not properly heard, and the needs of the people are not generally met. It is a basic right that people, specifically at WT and around this country, have, and it is a right that should be exercised. It is an egregious shortfall in society when the people’s voices are not heard, and their rights are not upheld. If someone is eager for change, the only option is to let his or her voices be heard and vote for that change.
