Weak Student Turnout at SU's Bird Library

By Brenda Leung
November, 03, 2009

Weak voter turnout at SU’s Bird Library polling place on Election Day made for a significant contrast to the long waiting lines in the Presidential Election last year.

Judith Rooney, 68, closed the curtain, pressed the lever, and opened the curtain; showed a satisfy smile after she voted.

"I live right down the hill. The polling place is very convenient," Rooney said. And this year she didn't have to wait.

Election inspector Joe Fritz estimated that about 80 voters would show up by the time the polls closed and few would be students.

"Well, many of them are from out-of-state areas," Fritz said.

"There are not a lot of students probably because it is just a local election ... like last year, there were 1,000 voters comparing to about 80 voters today," election inspector Susan Greenman said. "Students should definitely be more concerned about the local issues because it does affect them; everything starts with the local government level."

SU senior Matt Cujak voted. "Although many students are from other places; some are simply being ignorant of political issues especially when it comes to a local election like this."

Some students came and were not allowed to vote because they were registered somewhere else or were at the wrong polling place. "A young man from the Erie County was very upset," Fritz said. "We hate to turn those students away."

Election inspectors gave out a few suggestions to increase student votes: non-local student should request for an absentee ballot or re-register their voting districts.