Election Turnout

[TC]

Well I did run a campaign, put posters up, attended the campaign events in New Hall, Uni Hall and Sallies and spent most of the day handing out flyers so I do not appreciate you refering to my campaign as lazy in such a self-rightous tone. Nor do those who campaigned for me. I also did not win by a comfortable margin as you suggest, it was about 80 on the second redistribute, that is not a large margin. Last year I won with just 17 votes after a very hard campaign so check your facts next time before accusing others of lazyness, the results are there on the website after all. If you are going to complain about the lazyness of another persons campaign at least choose someone who you can accuse correctly rather than making assertions and not supporting them.

As for a debate I am not about the change the term card which was planned three months ago and published at the start of term. A formal debate takes slightly more than 5 days to organise. Besides we have some very good speakers coming so if you are suggesting that I tell them to go away 48 hours in advance then that is frankly a rather bad idea.

By all means put these motion ideas to my successor at the motions forum or by emailing her, but a debate takes a considerable amount of planning in advance.

I still put this point to you. If you need more than 600 votes the combination of friends and name recognition will not get you enough. You do have to campaign.

[hr]

Per Ardua ad Astra

[RandomMusings]

TC,

You are right - 600 votes is not enough, but it is very close. As I said in my earlier post, my competior achieved 620 votes and yet only attended hecklings. As I understand it, the person is senior student of a large hall of residence and has a very large number of facebook friends. To have that backing behind you gives you an extremely strong base to work from, as a large number of voters do not care greatly who wins each position and therefore randomly picks one candidate or the other. So having those initial 300 votes from recognition alone is certainly a great start.

I must say, I thought you ran a good campaign myself - I saw you at hall events and the hecklings and your publicity was all over election day. With regards to your position, a lot of people who don't know those involved in an election vote for the 'comedy' (sorry Rory!) character, as shown by the votes received by the Dalek.

And an adjournment debate on the topic sounds like a good idea. Maybe give it a week though (I have an essay this week)...

[hr]

What do you get if you cross a leo and a capricorn?

>>>> a leprechaun

[Jono]

I was talking about other candidates, not you! Everyone running for Chair busted a gut! I didn't mean to infer that your campaign was lazy! Sorry if you read it that way. The "comfortable margin" was meant in jest.

My point is that at least two contested positions were taken by candidates that did little paper campaigning, and didn't turn up to the hall events. Both did however use facebook. Perhaps that says something about the relative importance of Online campaigning. It's still a little annoying for everyone who weathered the storm!

I also didn't suggest we cancel the debate at the last minute! I mean we use that motion at a later date (perhaps this time next year). I'll put the suggestion to Jess at the motions forum.

Quoting TC from 18:37, 17th Mar 2008
Well I did run a campaign, put posters up, attended the campaign events in New Hall, Uni Hall and Sallies and spent most of the day handing out flyers so I do not appreciate you refering to my campaign as lazy in such a self-rightous tone. Nor do those who campaigned for me. I also did not win by a comfortable margin as you suggest, it was about 80 on the second redistribute, that is not a large margin. Last year I won with just 17 votes after a very hard campaign so check your facts next time before accusing others of lazyness, the results are there on the website after all. If you are going to complain about the lazyness of another persons campaign at least choose someone who you can accuse correctly rather than making assertions and not supporting them.

As for a debate I am not about the change the term card which was planned three months ago and published at the start of term. A formal debate takes slightly more than 5 days to organise. Besides we have some very good speakers coming so if you are suggesting that I tell them to go away 48 hours in advance then that is frankly a rather bad idea.

By all means put these motion ideas to my successor at the motions forum or by emailing her, but a debate takes a considerable amount of planning in advance.

I still put this point to you. If you need more than 600 votes the combination of friends and name recognition will not get you enough. You do have to campaign.

[hr]

Per Ardua ad Astra

[Pan]

Perhaps voters dislike having flyers thrust at them on campaign day and would prefer to vote for those who refrain from doing so. We were voting on a green policy in this election diet, perhaps voters thought it apt to vote for those who didn't waste paper.

[hr]

"Last time you gave me a pie, I cut into it, and birds flew out of it, hitting me in the face and chin. I was confused. It was a trick pie"

[Pan]

Perhaps voters dislike having flyers thrust at them on campaign day and would prefer to vote for those who refrain from doing so. We were voting on a green policy in this election diet, perhaps voters thought it apt to vote for those who didn't waste paper.

[hr]

"Last time you gave me a pie, I cut into it, and birds flew out of it, hitting me in the face and chin. I was confused. It was a trick pie"

[Lid]

Quoting Jono from 22:45, 17th Mar 2008
Everyone running for Chair busted a gut!

This must have been the election I missed then.

[hr]

Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

[Bizarre Atheist]

Quoting Lid from 23:58, 17th Mar 2008

Quoting Jono from 22:45, 17th Mar 2008
Everyone running for Chair busted a gut!

This must have been the election I missed then.

[hr]

Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

Rory certainly didn't. Good thing, too.

[hr]

[mhuzzell]

Quoting RandomMusings from 19:06, 17th Mar 2008
a lot of people who don't know those involved in an election vote for the 'comedy' (sorry Rory!) character, as shown by the votes received by the Dalek.

I think you underestimate people. I read the Saint Special and the 250 words and all for each of the presidential candidates, I attended the hecklings--hell, I even know two of them personally--and I still voted for the Dalek. I mean, come on. It's a Dalek.

(Though I suppose supporting this kind of thinking is what caused me to lose to a lion... oh well.)

[hr]

I FOUND JESUS... he was behind the couch the whole time!

[Garnet]

i usually find people with at flyers at student elections just hand them out to people carelessly, while shouting 'vote X'. I usually find it works better if you engage with the person and give them a few reasons why they should vote for them and then hand them the flyer - perhaps there are people who do this, I've just never came across anyone.

[hr]

so alive, so full of fire and music!

[maenad]

It's really hard to engage people. I had one person stop to talk, although I was plenty willing. People tend to blank you, or rush through giggling, or take every flyer offered saying 'thankyou, thankyou, thankyou ...' in a mocking tone as if they can't even be bothered to tell us how much of a waste of space we are.

I didn't do posters or flyers to piss people off. I hate doing them - ask my housemates, I'm obsessive about recycling and waste reduction. And I do feel like it's useless when I have people tell me that they deliberately don't vote for people with flyers. But then, I had someone ask me if I had a Facebook group and inform me that they didn't vote for people who did. Someone on the Sinner said a while back that two nights of hecklings "wasn't enough" to make up one's mind about candidates. How exactly am I meant to get my name out there?

I stood because I was interested in the position and know it's one which really needs a voice at the moment. I'd sum up elections week as one of apathy, belittlement and annoyance.

[hr]

Tommy can you hear me?

[S]

In my cause yes, publicity puts me off. You make the elections nothing more than a glorified who is the biggest ego contest, coming round disrupting my meal times by standing on chairs making speeches, and plastering posters everywhere. I voted for the people who I haven't had flyers shoved under my door. Outside the union some complete idiots were shouting things like "VOTE X FOR PRESIDENT!!". And so did not vote for X. Forcing people to vote for you is the complete opposite of what elections are for. That is why democracy does not work and is the worst political system in the world. Because most of the population are too stupid to be able to vote in a fair independent manner, rendering the concept pointless.

[Steveo]

Quoting S from 12:06, 17th Mar 2008
In my cause yes, publicity puts me off. You make the elections nothing more than a glorified who is the biggest ego contest, coming round disrupting my meal times by standing on chairs making speeches, and plastering posters everywhere. I voted for the people who I haven't had flyers shoved under my door. Outside the union some complete idiots were shouting things like "VOTE X FOR PRESIDENT!!". And so did not vote for X.

What an absolute load of old twaddle.

You voted, essentially, for the people who didn't put any effort into their campaigns, if you vote for those who didn't make flyers and publicity. Looks like a good way to find the hard working types who should hold high office in the Association.

Forcing people to vote for you is the complete opposite of what elections are for. That is why democracy does not work and is the worst political system in the world. Because most of the population are too stupid to be able to vote in a fair independent manner, rendering the concept pointless.

Well, we're sorry for expecting University students at one of the finest Universities in the country to have the intelligence to be able to find out relevant information.

Knob.


[hr]

Get off my internet.

[Al]

Election material is a necessary evil. It may be annoying that it forces you waste precious seconds disposing of it but some people - let's call them "intelligent" - like to know the policies of the various candidates.

Perhaps you could explain just how, exactly, someone shouting "VOTE X FOR PRESIDENT!!" is forcing you to vote?

[mhuzzell]

Quoting Garnet from 20:28, 18th Mar 2008
I usually find it works better if you engage with the person and give them a few reasons why they should vote for them and then hand them the flyer - perhaps there are people who do this, I've just never came across anyone.

Really? I have only known of a few candidates who did this consistently. Except for those who ran unopposed, all of them lost.

[hr]

I FOUND JESUS... he was behind the couch the whole time!

[mhuzzell]

Quoting S from 12:06, 17th Mar 2008
In my cause yes, publicity puts me off. You make the elections nothing more than a glorified who is the biggest ego contest, coming round disrupting my meal times by standing on chairs making speeches, and plastering posters everywhere. I voted for the people who I haven't had flyers shoved under my door. Outside the union some complete idiots were shouting things like "VOTE X FOR PRESIDENT!!". And so did not vote for X. Forcing people to vote for you is the complete opposite of what elections are for. That is why democracy does not work and is the worst political system in the world. Because most of the population are too stupid to be able to vote in a fair independent manner, rendering the concept pointless.

Um, just so we're clear: democracy is the name given to a system in which the ultimate power is given to 'the people', as exercised either directly or (more commonly) through representatives. It is not synonymous with speeches, nor shouting, nor flyering, nor with forcing people to vote (although of course we don't do that). It is not even synonymous with voting.

[hr]

I FOUND JESUS... he was behind the couch the whole time!

[EllenRose]

Quoting RandomMusings from 19:06, 17th Mar 2008
With regards to your position, a lot of people who don't know those involved in an election vote for the 'comedy' (sorry Rory!) character, as shown by the votes received by the Dalek.

hey, i was in the Dalek campaign and spent an hour just putting posters around DRA and did stuff on election day and i did the least amount of work. Two others spent hours putting clips together for the hecklings.

We still had to work for our votes like everyone else! But we were slightly scared by how well Fred did... more so by the fact that we didn't win.

Daleks don't like to lose...you could ask the others but he's already killed them. Wait.... I think i hear something outside... ahhh! no! he's outside the building! Please someone help me! no! he's coming up the stairs! damn levitation!! i'll kill whoever invented it! help! no!!! he's outside my room now! no!!! please! please dont kill me! i don't want to di-aaaarrrrgrgggggghhhhhhhhhhh.....


YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR YOUR FOOLISHNESS. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE DALEKS. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

[RandomMusings]

EllenRose,

I am not belittling the effort you went to for the Dalek campaign - I think you did really well and had more publicity out than a couple of the other candidates for that position even. And the heckling was great fun! However, I stand by my assertion that a lot of people will have looked down the list and gone - "ooo, a dalek" - and voted for it just because of that than by looking at the effort you put in to the campaign. If the opinion of 'S' is anything to go by, it seems a number of people voted in obscure ways this time around - remember the teddy bear last year that ran for president, as the 'joke' candidate, only received about 10 votes?

All in all, I think everyone should be congratulating you for a weird and wonderful campaign.... dare I say, however, at the risk of being attacked from all sides, that the elections are over, and the dalek campaign should now be allowed to rest and wallow in its (relative) glory?

[hr]

What do you get if you cross a leo and a capricorn?

>>>> a leprechaun

[RandomMusings]

Quoting mhuzzell from 21:44, 19th Mar 2008

Quoting Garnet from 20:28, 18th Mar 2008
I usually find it works better if you engage with the person and give them a few reasons why they should vote for them and then hand them the flyer - perhaps there are people who do this, I've just never came across anyone.

Really? I have only known of a few candidates who did this consistently. Except for those who ran unopposed, all of them lost.

- mhuzzell - I'd just like to say that I actively engaged with a number of the voters that walked passed - asking them if I could explain my policies before giving them a flyer so that I could convince them to vote for me. And what's more, I actually feel that this worked and I did convince a number of people to vote for me.
Although it was close, I won the election and I'd like to think that I managed to swing it by convincing those passing by to vote through explanation, friendliness and politeness. Contrary to some of the beliefs in this thread, there is a large proportion of the student population that are interested in who their representatives are and who like to get some feedback/interaction with these people. Chatting at the election day is a great way to start.

[hr]

What do you get if you cross a leo and a capricorn?

>>>> a leprechaun

[RandomMusings]

- mhuzzell - I'd just like to say that I actively engaged with a number of the voters that walked passed - asking them if I could explain my policies before giving them a flyer so that I could convince them to vote for me. And what's more, I actually feel that this worked and I did convince a number of people to vote for me.
Although it was close, I won the election and I'd like to think that I managed to swing it by convincing those passing by to vote through explanation, friendliness and politeness. Contrary to some of the beliefs in this thread, there is a large proportion of the student population that are interested in who their representatives are and who like to get some feedback/interaction with these people. Chatting at the election day is a great way to start.

[hr]

What do you get if you cross a leo and a capricorn?

>>>> a leprechaun

[faith]

Quoting S from 12:06, 17th Mar 2008
In my cause yes, publicity puts me off. You make the elections nothing more than a glorified who is the biggest ego contest, coming round disrupting my meal times by standing on chairs making speeches, and plastering posters everywhere. I voted for the people who I haven't had flyers shoved under my door. Outside the union some complete idiots were shouting things like "VOTE X FOR PRESIDENT!!". And so did not vote for X. Forcing people to vote for you is the complete opposite of what elections are for. That is why democracy does not work and is the worst political system in the world. Because most of the population are too stupid to be able to vote in a fair independent manner, rendering the concept pointless.

I would love to know what political systems you would class as better than democracy! It's all very well saying that the elections were rubbish, but maybe you could give some ideas as to what would be better if you so strongly oppose letting the "stupid" students have their say.
Plus, I agree with what Steveo said, at least the candidates with publicity were actually working hard to win and I would be more likely to vote for them (as long as I agreed with their policies of course) since they were actually making the effort, which suggests good things for if they were elected.