Charlie Wang | Contributing Illustrator

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, many WashU students lined up to vote at the Athletic Complex in the 2024 general election. Some students voted early at home or in St. Louis, and others sent mail-in ballots to their respective home states. And while the races for President and Senate of the 2024 election have been called, there is another election on the horizon for WashU students — the Student Union (SU) election, which will take place on Nov. 12-14.

In this semester’s election, there are 29 open positions: 12 Treasury Representatives, 12 Senators, and five positions on the ArtSci Council.

While the national election is dominating the media and our attention — and for good reason — SU elections play a large role in students’ daily experiences on campus. For example, SU Treasury allocates money to student groups, from Run Club to religious organizations. The SU Senate has launched impactful initiatives — such as the expansion of menstrual-product availability — and is actively working on other important projects, such as working with dining services to relay student concerns.

Despite SU’s influence over campus life and student organizations, WashU student turnout in SU elections has been dismal. Over the past decade, student turnout has averaged 22.9%. Last fall, only 26.8% of students turned out for the SU election. The highest turnout rate over the past 10 years came in the fall of 2021, when 33.8% of students voted. Although WashU students vote in SU elections at a higher rate than those at many peer institutions, a 30% turnout rate is still not enough. 

As a student body, we should not be complacent — we should instead strive to increase voter turnout to make SU more representative of the student body and its beliefs.

Despite only being elected by less than a third of undergraduates, SU makes decisions for the entire student body. They has been an especially prominent force on campus over the past year. In the aftermath of Oct. 7 and the war that ensued and is still ongoing, SU passed a resolution (15-5 with one abstention) calling for the University to cut ties with and divest from Boeing, which furthered contentious debate among students.

On Sept. 10, SU passed a resolution calling to fire Chancellor Martin, defund the Washington University Police Department (WUPD), and divest from Boeing. The resolution was ultimately vetoed by Hussein Amuri, senior and SU President, on Sept. 12 — the first SU veto in recent history. 

These resolutions and SU’s other recent actions demonstrate how SU engages with issues that are important and impactful to students.

Each year, WashU students have the opportunity to express their voice by voting for undergraduate student-body representatives. This is one of the most tangible ways for WashU students to signal their opinions to University administration and the broader WashU community. Not voting in SU elections will perpetuate the reality of SU being unrepresentative of the students it serves.

SU officers — and especially SU Senators — have the ability to communicate closely with University administration and relay the student body’s sentiments to the University. So, if you are a student who is happy or unhappy with SU’s recent decisions, now is the time to express your voice through your vote.

National politics are plagued with debates over voter ID requirements, where people can vote, and how people can vote — in contrast, voting in the SU election could not be easier. Every undergraduate student receives their ballot, which can be filled out any time over a 48-hour period, via their WashU email. Voter guides are published by SU and Student Life before the election to help inform voters. Additionally, some candidates use social media platforms, such as Instagram, to promote their policies. 

As we consider the results of the presidential election, remember that you have a chance to impact a much closer community. Now is the time to make your voice heard. Now is the time to vote. There is no excuse not to. 

Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.

Lewis Rand, Junior Sports Editor

Avi Holzman, Editor-in-Chief

Tim Mellman, Managing Newsletter Editor

Bri Nitsberg, Managing Photo Editor

Lore Wang, Junior Scene Editor

Elias Kokinos, Junior Sports Editor

Olivia Lee, Junior Scene Editor

Elizabeth Grieve, Junior Scene Editor

Riley Herron, Managing Sports Editor

Alice Gottesman, Managing Scene Editor

Jordan Spector, Senior Forum Editor

Jasmine Stone, Senior Forum Editor

Sylvie Richards, Managing Forum Editor

David Ciorba, Junior Forum Editor

Amelia Raden, Senior Forum Editor

Dion Hines, Junior Forum Editor