After three days of voting in the Student Union, the referendum mandating the $80 Student Association activity fee passed by over 1,900 votes, ensuring SA funds from the entire undergraduate population for another two years.
With only 250 votes against the fee, compared to 2175 supporting the referendum, the election was a clear-cut triumph for SA. In the race for off-campus SA Senate seats, UB United candidates swept all six available seats, beating out UB Independents and lone hopeful Tamera Akarah.
SA officials were elated by the overwhelming support for the future of the activity fee.
"It says a lot. The results are above average," said Viqar Hussain, SA president. "The turnout was just above and beyond what we expected."
Leslie Meister, SA vice president, believes the outcome of the election holds a promising outlook.
"Campus life will continue. SA will grow," said Leslie Meister, SA vice president. "I'm very happy with the turnout."
While student awareness about the election was a possible concern, Meister was not worried. She and other SA officers and supporters wore white and blue "VOTE" t-shirts promoting the election across campus, while handing out informational flyers.
"I wasn't scared of people not coming out to vote," she said. "But I wanted people to be knowledgeable about what they're voting for."
According to Hussain, the number of votes against the fee were lower than they have been in previous years. However, the true success lies in getting people to cast their ballot.
"We wanted people to express their opinion, whether they voted yes or no," Hussain said. "We know now the decisions we're making are supported by the students."
For the election to be valid, at least 10 percent of the undergraduate population needed to take part in the vote. With students still making their way to the booths Thursday evening to get in at the last minute, turnout success came as no surprise.
"I voted yes," said Deborah Singh, a sophomore pre-dental major. "I mean $80 is more than enough for things like Sean Paul and the Dalai Lama. $80 for Sean Paul is a steal. Plus all the clubs they have."
Jordan Raup, a freshman media study major, was also among the trickle of students voting just as the polls closed on Thursday.
"I voted yes. I like all the clubs and concerts it pays for," he said. Had the referendum been voted down, Raup "would still go to the events, but not as many."
For those working at the voting booths, the feat was expected.
"I think it'll pass, it passed last (time)," said Kareem Youngblood, a senior history and education major. "It's the same kind of thing every year, it's usually the people who are involved that go out and vote."
Hussain expressed appreciation for everyone involved in the voting process.
"I just want to thank all the voters, and all the staff who helped out and got involved," he said. "They did a phenomenal job."
In the elections for off-campus senate seats, UB United members Jessica Garcia (622 votes), Andrew McDermott (601 votes), Jacob Cespedes (579 votes), Paul DeJac (535 botes), Hassan Shibly (496 votes) and Shuja Hussain (488 votes) beat out UB Independents Elias A. Farah (300 votes), Erik Stegall (287 votes) and Winton Tran (268 votes), as well as unaffiliated candidate Akarah (372 votes).
