From its start as an exclusive senior society, student government at the College has seen low student interest, and has undergone myriad changes to election proceedings, eligibility guidelines and campaign regulations.
This year’s Student Assembly candidates will have to battle the student apathy that has often marked its elections. There are few candidates running and, for the first time since 2009, none of the student body presidential or vice presidential candidates are women.
In 2013, about 44 percent of students voted in the election, while 53 percent of students voted in 2012 and 39 percent in 2011. Between approximately 45 percent and 60 percent of students voted in 2008-2010 Assembly elections.
According to a 2005 article published by the Dartmouth Independent, apathy has riddled elections since the Assembly’s formation in 1984.
In its inaugural year, presidential candidates discussed important issues before a “sparse” crowd in the Collis Center. In 1993, seven candidates had to debate at only one meeting due to student disinterest in the election. Fewer than 10 students attended the Assembly presidential debates in 2000.
Former Assembly president Max Yoeli ’12 said the Assembly has grappled with its role on campus for the last five years. The lack of specifically outlined rights has made it difficult for the organization to define itself, he said.
“Depending on the circumstance, it can be good for growth and progress, but it’s always limited,” Yoeli said.
Despite low turnout rates, various Assembly positions have been hotly contested in recent elections. In the 2013 student vice presidential election, Michael Zhu ’14 won by just six votes. Suril Kantaria ’13 won the 2012 presidential election by 11 votes, while Julia Danford ’13 secured the vice president position by 15 votes.
Before the Assembly was formed, the Palaeopitus Senior Society served as the main student governing body. For decades after its 1899 creation, the society had a broadly defined role that included collaborating with the administration on College policy, monitoring student parties and overseeing other student organizations, though it eventually faded into an executive student government committee.
Today, Palaeopitus operates under the Dean of the College and serves as a senior society without any ties to student body governance, though the senior class president and the Assembly president are guaranteed spots.
The Election Planning and Advisory Committee oversees Assembly elections. Candidate eligibility, advertising regulations and campaign rules are outlined in general election guidelines, released at the beginning of the year.
In 2011, candidate eligibility requirements changed, prohibiting students from running who had previously been suspended from the College.
This requirement caused debate in the 2011 elections, when Will Hix ’12 could not run for student body president due to a previous suspension. Hix ultimately ran as a write-in candidate.
The policy was scaled back in 2012. Now, if candidates have been previously suspended by the College, they must file a disclaimer that will be released to the public.
An approval voting system was also implemented in 2011. Instead of voting for one candidate, under the system students can vote for as many candidates they feel are qualified. This guideline remains in place.
Student body president Adrian Ferrari ’14 said many students may not know about this rule.
“If you think you only have one vote, and the vast majority of campus thinks they only have one vote, it’s actually less democratic because then we don’t end up having a run-off,” Ferrari said.
Campus organizations were allowed to endorse candidates for the first time in 2010.
Campaign spending limits are set at $200 for student body president and vice president, $60 for Class Council president and vice president, and $35 for other positions.
EPAC chair Ryan Tibble ’14 said an aspect of Student Assembly elections that remains ambiguous is the policy of sending campus-wide emails. Candidates are not allowed to send mass emails with a suppressed recipient list.
There have not been any changes to the guidelines this year.
