'Incredibly quiet' SG election season free of major violations
Campaign seasons past at USC have seen drama, some of it petty — stolen or vandalized banners — and some not so petty — major elections violations disqualifying candidates.
Aside from two minor violations by senatorial candidates, this year's Student Government elections have been relatively quiet.
Presidential candidates Emily Saleeby and John Cuenin and treasurer candidate Coy Gibson haven't hung banners on the brick wall along Greene Street. Saleeby said she'd meant to hang her poster up, but attributed the wait to complications with her campaign staff. Cuenin said his would be up by today. Gibson said his campaign was waiting for its "Together Let's Shag" event Tuesday night to debut his banner.
Election Committee President Amy DeWitt is worried this relaxed approach, as well as an unusual lack of violations, has resulted in a low-key campaign season that could bring another weak voter turnout come next week's elections.
"It's been incredibly quiet on campus during this campaign season, probably one of the quietest that we have seen for some time," DeWitt said. "One of our greatest fears is that voters are not even going to know that it is election time. We're trying to have an exciting elections process, but the candidates seem to be taking a more subdued approach. This is by no means to say that we, the commission, would like to have more violations in the office."
A Social Election
While candidates may not be hosting big events on Greene Street, DeWitt said their social media are playing a "huge role" this campaign season.
"In years past it was definitely implemented, but I think as our society becomes more dependent on these social networks, it only makes sense that this would be one of the best ways for our candidates to reach out to the voters," she said.
All of the candidates have created campaign Facebook pages separate from their personal profiles. At press time, unopposed vice presidential candidate Chase Mizzell's page leads with 266 "likes," followed by treasurer candidate Yousef Ibreak (225), presidential candidate Kenny Tracy (186), Cuenin (154), Gibson (138) and Saleeby (135).
Candidates' popularity on Twitter is harder to measure. Cuenin, Ibreak and Mizzell have created new accounts for their campaigns, while Tracy, Saleeby and Gibson have just changed the handles on their personal accounts to promote themselves.
This may explain why Tracy, Saleeby and Gibson are leading the rest in Twitter followers.
Campaign Cinematography
One candidate for each executive office — Mizzell, Cuenin and Ibreak — has posted videos for his respective campaign. Unlike Student Body President Joe Wright's high-energy "Club Can't Handle Me" presidential dance video last year, each presents its candidate in a serious, no-nonsense light.
Mizzell has the most with five videos online. Four of them feature USC athletic teams and endorsements from men's basketball, football, women's soccer and volleyball student-athletes.
In Cuenin's "A Message from John Cuenin," he pledges to "improve life on campus, improve Student Government as an organization and advocate for every student on campus." A second video points out Cuenin's credentials as "a young man with a lifetime of leadership" and claims he can reconnect students and Student Government by opening lines of communication between the two.
Ibreak's video, "Yousef Ibreak for USC Treasurer 2012," pans the Horseshoe and highlights his three-point platform of innovation, accessibility and transparency. He plays into the Apple theme by simulating an iPhone screen and by stylizing his name iBreak.
Unlimited Capital Campaigning
The student senate voted against a bill that would require candidates to report spending to the elections commission and cap spending at $1,000. Candidates aren't required to disclose spending, but at least one has budgeted above that mark.
"This has left candidates, for better or worse, with unlimited resources," DeWitt said. "I know that one fear that many, as well as myself, have expressed is the issue of 'buying votes.' However, I do not think that this will be a serious problem. So far our candidates are running an extremely clean campaign."