Next year's student body president may still sport a headband. Incumbent president Janos Marton '04 captured 61 percent of the vote in a pre-election poll conducted by The Dartmouth, while challenger Brett Theisen '05 received 30 percent.
Dave Wolkoff '05 led the race for vice president with 40 percent of responses, tailed by Noah Riner '06 and Brett Martin '04 with 22 percent each. Todd Rabkin Golden '06 garnered 12 percent of the vote.
Marton expressed satisfaction with the poll's results.
"I'm pretty pumped. I sort of expected something like this," Marton said.
Theisen could not be reached for comment.
Theisen was warned by the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee last Thursday after one of his supporters, Derham Cato '05, allegedly sent a mass blitz. However, Marton predicted the censure would not materially affect the election.
"I don't think it'll make much of a difference," Marton said.
Fewer College students responded to this year's pre-election poll than to last year's, continuing a trend of lower reply that has held for the past three elections.
Marton said he believed turnout would be higher than pre-election results suggested.
"Last year there were five people running for president, so a lot more people were mobilizing their friends to vote in the [pre-election] polls," Marton said. "When it comes to the actual election, I think numbers will be closer to last year."
This year's pre-election results stand in stark contrast to the figures from last year, in which the top two contenders for president were effectively neck-in-neck. Indeed, if Marton sustains his apparent lead, he will win by the largest margin in at least the last 10 elections.
Proportionally more votes for Theisen came from male students -- 60 percent of Theisen's supporters were men. Marton attributed some of the disparity to Theisen's status as an athlete.
"I think it's a reflection partly of Brett's football teammates mobilizing, and they're all male," Marton said. "That would push the male numbers in his favor."
By class, support for Marton seems weakest among members of the class of 2006. According to the poll, 39 percent of '06 respondents voted for Thiesen. Marton said he attributed his comparatively lackluster showing to the late start of his campaign.
