By Kaila Wyman
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thursday Feb. 28, 2002
Less than 4 percent of student body turns out for election, no candidates eliminated
Sen. Doug Hartz and Sen. Jennifer Reece appear to be heavy favorites in the race for the two top executive positions in ASUA next year.
In the presidential primary - which ended yesterday - Hartz beat out Aaron Black by nearly 58 percent. Reece beat Wailele Sallas by nearly 65 percent in the race for executive vice president.
No candidates for any of the three executive positions or 10 senatorial positions were eliminated in the primary election, and next week's general election will determine who will take office.
In other races, Sen. Jered Mansell beat Samantha Zipp by 23 percent in the race for administrative vice president.
Not wanting to follow the traditional greek support route, Zipp said she is going to reach out to other clubs in the week between the primaries and the general election, March 6-7.
"I am supported by the men's basketball team," she said. "I decided to reach out to the athletes because they are students at the university too."
"I would have hoped for a higher voter turnout but we think it's because no one was eliminated. I expect the numbers to triple for the general."
- Talianna Kattan, ASUA elections commissioner
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The 17-contender battle for the senate seats showed Scott Cheney prominent above the 16 other contenders, receiving support from 51.76 percent of the voters.
"I've already worked hard and I've been exhausted but I plan on hitting more clubs and repaving ones I have already spoken to," Cheney said. "I just want people to know what I am about and why I'm running."
Only 1,109 people, or less than 3 percent of the student body, voted, a decrease of 1,289 voters from last year's primary.
"I would have hoped for a higher voter turnout but we think it's because no one was eliminated," said Elections Commissioner Talianna Kattan. "I expect the numbers to triple for the general."
The elections committee plans on putting up more banners and distributing 2,000 candidate information packets to encourage students to vote. The Student Recreation Center referendum is expected to also help voter turnout.
The center is putting up computers during the general election so that students can vote while they are there to workout.
A presidential debate will be held Wednesday at noon on the UA Mall. Students can vote for the general election at www.asua.arizona.edu on March 6 and 7.
