The polls were open and food was being served to all who participated as election day fell last Wednesday and Thursday. And though the smell of tri-tip sandwiches and the sound of a beating drum attracted nearly all students in the area, there were still many who were left clueless about the festivities.
Just a day before the polls opened at Las Positas College, there was only one sighting of a candidate’s poster being attached to a wall, and a mere stack of fliers on a table displayed to let students know that elections were coming up. And then there’s the issue of three slots without a candidate to vote for, only a write-in vote to be cast.
The essentially unannounced election season comes on the heels of current student body president Christopher Southorn’s campaign, which took him to several classrooms on campus, talking to over 700 students who voted for him.
The two candidates who ran to fill Southorn’s shoes, senators Rafi Ansari and Eric Bolin, Ansari closed with a mere 30 more votes than Bolin, winning the vote.
The runner-up in the process, Bolin told the Express that even though he lost, he’s content with his motives.
“Elections were about making a difference outside of being a senator again,” Bolin said. “But I ran with integrity, which is what matters.”
During the polling, both Bolin and Ansari could be seen roping in potential votes by outlining their platform, selling students on what they could do to help out. One of the topics was to increase the overall student voice on campus.
Surely some students might have felt a bit underwhelmed by the promise considering the sheer lack of advertisement.
A bright spot for the election was the way in which votes were cast.
ClassWeb, the system that LPC uses to track registration and other information, was used for students to choose their new leader. This means that students were able to vote from anywhere, should they deem the drive to campus for a free sandwich unreasonable.
Current president Southorn will be resigning his post at the end of the school year, and Ansari will step in.
