ON THIS final day of voting in the spring elections, virtually every concrete surface around Grounds has been turned into an advertisement for one of over 100 candidates. Although chalking is one way of getting the candidate's name out to students, this means of campaigning should be eliminated from future elections. Instead of chalking, candidates should be encouraged to put their time and resources to better use by conducting a more substantive campaign.
This year, controversy arose regarding chalking on inappropriate surfaces and the use of spray chalk. Candidates are permitted to chalk only on concrete surfaces that can be walked on. Spray chalk presented some issues because it easily can be confused with spray paint, but Facilities Management allowed candidates to employ this high-tech chalking method this election.
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As it stands now, chalking is one of the primary ways candidates connect with students. "Chalking is a good, constant visual reminder for students that elections are coming up," said Adam Trusner, Student Council elections committee chairman. Granted, reaching the entire student population is a daunting task, but candidates can communicate with their constituents in a more substantive, creative manner than chalking. If chalking is to be used at all, the Council elections committee can chalk surfaces to remind students to vote and attend the candidates' debate or other forums. Chalking would be controlled, and the elections committee would not have to waste time worrying about as many campaign violations. Facilities Management no doubt would be a lot happier, too.
Grass roots campaigning is out of style at all levels of politics. However, candidates in the spring election have a unique advantage over their local government officials -_ their constituency is fairly small and concentrated in a one-mile radius from central Grounds. Candidates need to demonstrate their dedication to their platform, their office and their willingness to represent their fellow classmates. A physical presence outside Cabell or Thornton Hall between classes is more striking than someone's name splattered in chalk.
Council encourages candidates to develop a platform and a Web site to publicize their information. The candidates should dedicate the time spent chalking to Web site creation. Unfortunately, few candidates appear to be taking advantage of this option. If candidates are developing Web sites, students are not finding out about them. This spring's elections would've been more substantive if candidates had chalked their Web site addresses rather than their names. In the future, Council also could help students publicize their Web sites by posting links to the pages on their elections server.
Web site campaigning may become a more viable alternative in future elections, as students become more and more attached to their computers. However, no matter how much information is disseminated electronically, many students will continue to base their election decisions on various organizations' endorsements. Such organizations conduct independent interviews of candidates, reach a consensus and encourage voters to follow their lead.
According to Trusner, IFC and ISC endorsements carry a lot of clout, as they represent roughly 30 percent of the student body. Publications such as The Cavalier Daily and The Declaration impact the vote as well due to their wide readership. Beginning last year, five organizations geared toward specific University populations - ASU, BSA, LSU, LGBTU and NOW - formed the Coalition and established its own endorsements, creating a stronger, unified voice for minority students. This year the University Democrats not only endorsed candidates, but also conducted its own campaign for those it endorsed.
With the traditionally influential endorsing organizations going strong and a variety of new groups entering the scene, it may be time to reexamine endorsing procedures. According to Trusner, as it stands now, the elections committee has difficulty keeping every candidate informed regarding the details of each organization participating in candidate endorsements. Additionally, conflicting endorsements sometimes occur because of lack of consistency among endorsing organizations.
To combat these problems, Trusner suggests a more uniform approach. Council should create an open endorsement forum to replace individual group interviews. Representatives from each endorsing agency would be present, and everyone would get to hear the same information. Such a forum also should be open to all students as a supplement to the candidates' debate. "An open endorsement period would make it easier on the candidates, and would create greater consistency among endorsing organizations," Trusner said.
Candidates only have one week between the beginning of campaigning and the start of elections. Despite time restrictions, future candidates need to shift the focus of their elections from getting their name out to getting their message out. Council can help change the face of elections by altering the endorsement process and creating more opportunities for candidates to come face-to-face with the electorate. Forums, dorm talks, CIO visits and candidate Web sites should be supported and publicized. Only then can elections transform into all they're chalked up to be.
(Stephanie Batten's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at sbatten@cavalierdaily.com.)
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