Voting for ASB: How to Decide?

As ASB elections draw to a close, students will be casting their votes for the candidates of their choice. However, the question is, how do students decide who to vote for, when posters lean more on pun than policy, and candidates have only a single short speech to win over the undecided.

For junior computer science major Amanda Timmons, much of the decision rests on how students are able to convey their plans for the university through their chapel speech.

“If they don’t have something they’re fighting for, like a purpose, then I don’t typically vote for that. I want to be able to understand you and it’s clear,” Timmons said. “If I didn’t go to that chapel, I’d have no idea what to do. I don’t know if I would vote, because I don’t want to give it to someone who doesn’t deserve it.”

Senior political science major Lauren Cazares also sees the importance of the speeches. She believes social media to also be an important tool in figuring out who to vote for, as posts from the candidate themselves or endorsements from others can prove helpful and provide insight into who will do the job well.

“I think it’s knowing people who you trust, who you’re close with, who you think have the best intent for Point Loma, believe that this person also has the best intent for Point Loma, I think that’s really helpful. But that can also become a popularity thing, which is not the goal,” Cazares said.

While posters are up all around campus advertising the candidates, for junior exercise and sports science major Kyndell Crowell, they make a minimal impact

“I think it’s something that more informs me about who’s running than who I’m voting for, ” Crowell said.

Becoming an informed voter in an ASB election can prove difficult, as candidates don’t have much room to articulate their plans for the school, but taking advantage of what information is available can prove helpful in choosing the best person for the job.

“I think that the most important thing when you’re voting for ASB is their qualifications,” Cazares said. “For certain roles, it really comes down to who would be most qualified, who has the most experience, and who has the most passion, and unfortunately that’s not always going to be your closest friend.”