Instead of heading to the voting booths, Cal State Long Beach students will be voting in Associated Students, Inc. student elections on the Web starting today through Thursday.
Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Kim Hinckson said that the online polling will be more cost-effective.
“Our paper ballot cost was about $10,000. Our online poll cost is about $5,000,” she said.
Hinckson said that she expects voter turnout to be much higher than in past years.
“I think more people will vote because it provides access to information whenever someone needs it,” said Jessica Abdou, a junior communications major. “Students can vote when they want instead of at the time given during school – and it’s more personal.”
There will be no voting booths on campus. They will be replaced with information booths, according to ASI Communications Coordinator Christina Esparza Each booth will be equipped with information about the candidates’ platforms and the voting process.
“We witness many, many students on campus who use our wireless Internet access,” Esparza said. “Setting up elections this way makes it more convenient to the students, which is always our No. 1 objective.”
The online concept was adopted in January 2006 after the ASI Senate resolved to research it for elections. Out of nine possible companies, BigPulse was chosen because of its willingness to make its website fully accessible to people with disabilities at no cost to ASI. BigPulse’s price was half the price of other vendors.
Today, BigPulse sent out e-mails with instructions on how to vote. The e-mail will include a link to the voting site. If a student does not receive the e-mail, he or she should contact ASI.
Heather Miyakawa, a junior studio art major, said she will “probably not” vote in the election next week. “I don’t know any of their positions. I haven’t been keeping up with all that. I don’t have time.”
Sara Afshar, a geology graduate student, said having the elections online will be beneficial.
“It’s just easier,” Afshar said.
Afshar mentioned that some candidates came to one of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics’ council meetings that she was a part of.
“If I had not seen them, I might have not voted. It kind of encourages me to vote,” she said.
Jennifer Griffin also contributed to this report.
