ASB alters officer election process

Friday, March 19, 2010
By Abby Watkins
Staff Writer

The Associated Student Body voted to amend its constitution by changing the election process at its March 1 meeting, beginning with the 2010 elections.

Students running for elections will be considered part of the applicant pool for specific commissioner positions. After elected, they will be interviewed in order to determine whether or not they are given the commissioner position. As a commissioner, they act as the leader of the specific commission. As an auxiliary, they  act as an assistants to the commissioners.

“You are basically running to get on ASB,” ASB advisor Lisa Claypoole said. “We’re building in an opportunity for people to join the program without pressure.”

Formerly, students ran solely for the commissioner job and the winner of the election would automatically get to be commissioner. Auxiliary positions were given by interview only.

“We often have had someone who is brand new to ASB in charge of someone who has been in the organization for a year or two,” Claypoole said.

The interviews have previously been conducted by a panel consisting of Claypoole, the current ASB president and vice president, the incoming president and vice president, and optionally the school board representative principal Julie Ruisinger, and the current and incoming secretaries and treasurers.

“Ultimately, this gives the student body much more control, and we only decide the very last stage of the process,” Commissioner of Publicity junior Rachel Waters said.

The process through which president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, as well as all class officer positions are elected, will remain unchanged.

“By separating class and board jobs from the commissioners, it lets us make sure that the process runs smoothly in every aspect,” Waters said.

ASB hopes that by making these changes, they can ensure that the right positions go to the right people.

“It’s great because we’re actually going to get qualified people on ASB.  Not that we don’t have some qualified people, but it ensures that leadership positions are qualified and prepared for the job,” Commissioner of Elections senior Kari Shannon said.

Though ASB voted on these changes, there are some members who disagree that the new election rules will be beneficial.

“It makes it more difficult to get into ASB unless you’re popular,” Club Coordinator sophomore Victoria Torres said. “It’ll make ASB better in a way, as far as the top positions go, but the bottom positions will suffer.”

Other ASB representatives acknowledge these concerns, and in the long run have said they are confident these changes will be good for applicants.

“The new system ensures that the most qualified and competent students receive leadership positions,” Vice President senior Jeff Whelan said.

ASB hopes that the new process will help not only ASB itself, but the school as a whole.

“You’re still being elected, and getting the support of people on campus. It’s just giving us more flexibility to put people where they need to go,” Claypoole said.