Exercising Your Right to Vote
Illustration by Andrea Marcy
Every year on a small college campus in Santa Monica, California the Associated Students of Santa Monica College hold an election for 13 positions. The Associated Students (A.S.) is the student-led government responsible for representing the student body of Santa Monica College (SMC.) A.S. funds student activities such as club fairs and culinary events, listens to student comments and concerns through public meetings, and manages a budget of nearly 1 million dollars. The A.S. have the potential to greatly impact student’s time at SMC, as they have power over clubs, student resources, and are a liaison between students and organisations like grassroots political movements, and campus department and services.
Regardless, many students are not aware of the A.S, what they do, or who they are. In the 2021 election cycle, a mere 435 students decided which students would be representing them and fighting for their needs. Meanwhile, SMC enrolled 41,160 credit and noncredit students in the 2020-2021 academic school year. That means that in the 2021 A.S. election, one percent of the student population elected the board that would make decisions that would impact 100 percent of students.
Students have the opportunity to have a say in their student government, and it is important that student’s right to elect student officials is not overlooked. The A.S. Directors should be by the people for the people. But if the majority of students are not voting, then we cannot guarantee that the A.S. is governing in the interest of our students. Getting involved with A.S. through their public meetings allows us to better understand the operations of our student government. It is important to reach out to your student leaders when you have an issue you would like to address. Even when students are not aware of the A.S, the A.S. is making decisions that have the potential to affect the entire student body.
As a freshman at SMC this year, I was not well informed about the A.S. until I joined The Corsair. As Editor-in-Chief this semester, I was in charge of guiding The Corsair’s A.S. team in the coverage of the A.S. and the A.S. election. From interviewing current members and candidates, writing articles, and hosting a Candidate's Forum, our A.S. team has grown more and more knowledgeable about the mechanisms of A.S. But our newfound knowledge would have not been possible without researching A.S. and speaking to its members.
The A.S. members you elect will not only be making important decisions, but also representing students. It is important we elect representatives that care for students, are aware of our needs and wants, and will fight for equality. Though it is easy for many to feel apathetic towards elections, exercising the right to vote is one of the most important things you can do as a student.
