Who will I run against? Should I let them run for that position, and I run for another one so we can work together? What if I lose, but I’m a good candidate? Will it be a popularity contest like most elections?
These are the questions that often run through a candidates’ mind during the process of class elections. But this year’s school-wide elections on March 25 and March 26, along with class elections on April 22 and April 23 eliminate many of these questions. Most of these worries are put to rest with the new voting system that was implemented by the AHS leadership class.
Many teachers try to ingrain into students’ heads at a young age that the best candidate should always win over the more popular candidate. For most elections, this concept never becomes a reality. After so many years of losing potentially good candidates, the leadership class has created a system in which all candidates run for President, and the candidate with the highest votes becomes President, the second highest, Vice President, and another three, Executive Board Members, has been put into place.
In the old system, although candidates would run for a particular position, but would often end up not fulfilling all of their duties.
Stephanie Harmony, SGA Sponsor and Leadership class teacher, said of this: “Officers really didn’t perform the duties of their ‘title…’ The Executive Board is really just a way to adapt to what we saw already happening with our Officers. There seems to be more of a shared responsibility and students, regardless of title, take initiative with different tasks and hopefully get a well-rounded experience.”
Sophomore Caitlin Hill said about the new system: “I like it because if you have two good people running, the best two people get a spot, because they are guaranteed one.” This process provides for the popularity contest that unfortunately takes place in every election to be less effective. This is because while it appears that the most popular candidate will become president, four other candidates have a chance to serve under other roles, and thus, potentially successful candidates will not be pushed aside by somebody who is not necessarily fit for the job, but is the most accepted.
Freshman Laura Hackfeld added, “This new system is better, because it allows for people who want to run for a position, run, but not against their friends. Therefore they have an equal chance of winning without having to worry about their peers.”
Candidates will make deals with friends, or other candidates to run for certain positions in order to create a “powerhouse” lineup in which friends will be with friends on a board. Sometimes, these “deals” dissuade other potential candidates from running, which is abolished by this new system of voting.
“We chose this format because we really want the five strongest, hardest working, most dedicated students on the Executive Board for your class. Sometimes the strongest, hardest working, most dedicated students all run for one office…usually the office of President,” said Harmony.
This new, upgraded system really sets the stage for the phrase, “may the best one win.” thus, potentially successful candidates will not be pushed aside by somebody who is not necessarily fit for the job, but is the most accepted.
