The annual board member elections of ASDVC, our student government, were held for three days in April, starting the second weekend. Of course, I exercised my voting right. It was my first election experience in this campus and I was excited about what would happen; however the results made me disappointed.

The valid vote number was announced as 917. Mohamed Eisa, Dean of Planning, Research and Student Outcomes, told me that this college “has a head count enrollment of 20,763 students.” The voting rate comes out 4.4 percent and the president who was reelected with 429 votes turns out gaining support of 2.0 percent students. This is the lowest rate I’ve ever heard; I heard it’s a better figure than last year’s though.

Actually many of my friends did not vote. Some did not know that the elections were ongoing and they were supposed to participate in them. Honestly speaking, I had been totally ignorant about my voting rights for ASDVC elections until I was told by one of my classmates who later ran for the election, which roused my interest in the elections. If not, I would have not noticed even the existence of ASDVC elections.

One reason for this low turnout is that voting gives students free will to vote as they please; it’s not an obligation. Also, a small number of current students won’t be here next semester when the new board members start working.

I don’t think 96 percent of DVC students are completely apathetic, but I believe this level of abstention is a sure sign of apathy. In a cynical observation, bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. If you have the right to vote, you should use it. I have serious anxiety about young people’s nonchalance towards “government.” Many students on this campus may not have suffrage in the real world yet. If they feel nothing would be changed whether or not they vote, that’s the big problem.

Having said that, the reality is we do not have a transparent vision of ASDVC, needless to say of each candidate. Before and even on the day of voting, the campus was quiet and clean without pollution of candidate’s zealous debates or from vast amounts of campaign posters and fliers. Nevertheless there was a treat for voters of free lunch, sandwiches and soda.

There is no need for such incentive. Sharing the excitement of unifying toward making a better campus is truly needed.