Editor’s Note: This is an opinion piece and does not represent the opinion of Beaver’s Digest. This op-ed reflects the personal opinions of the writer.
Elections can feel hopeless. Your single vote is just a tiny drop in the massive ocean of the American voting population. It’s easy to think that one individual vote likely won’t change an election outcome, especially after an exhausting 2024 election season. As the aftermath of the election continues to fill our social media and daily smalltalk with classmates and friends, the last thing many of us want to do is cast a ballot all over again.
But you really should.
Associated Students of Oregon State University, the student government body at Oregon State, opened voting ballots last week for all students at Oregon State University. While this election may seem small, irrelevant or inconsequential, that is far from the truth.
Last year’s election is a prime example of this. The preliminary results posted by ASOSU for the 2024 election show that only about 17% of the student body voted. As only 3,721 ballots were collected, every single vote mattered, with the race for undergraduate senate being decided by only three votes.
The undergraduate senator candidate, Lauren Camou, who received the most votes but didn’t make it into the senate was within 56 votes of six other senate candidates. Just a slightly higher voter turnout would have completely changed the results of the election last year. This year’s election will likely be just as close, with every single vote influencing the outcome of the election.
And yes, these elections do actually matter.
As a student at OSU, it’s hard not to be annoyed by something on campus. I constantly hear that the handling of the graduate student strike, large student fees and even an overcrowded gym are all hot topics for students, and issues that ASOSU can have an impact on. ASOSU is your opportunity to express your concern and frustration with anything on campus, either by voting or running yourself.
In particular, student fees are an important topic on the ballot every year so, by not voting, students are actively forfeiting their ability to have a say on what their dollars are used for.
In fact, earlier this month, ASOSU passed a bill raising the wage for Memorial Union and Performing Arts student employees. Representatives from the student body voted on this and completed these negotiations.
Along with student fees, recent concerns over student labor rights, student healthcare — including mental health — sustainability on campus and administrative financial accountability are hot topics on the ballot. If any of those interest you, now is your time to make your voice heard.
Ballots were sent to student emails on Feb. 17, and will be open until this Friday. As a fellow student, I strongly encourage you to cast your vote and influence the future of the student experience at OSU.
Just like the ASOSU website says, voting is “not just a right; it’s your responsibility for an impactful and inclusive student community.”
