Voter turnout faltered in this year’s student elections, with only 566 votes compared to more than 4,400 ballots tallied in Spring 2015, the highest in Santa Rosa Junior College’s history.
“The low voter turnout is very unfortunate,” said current Student Government Assembly President Joshua Pinaula. “California community colleges have a difficult time getting students to vote in general. The SGA hoped to see the number of voters increase this year, and perhaps benefiting from students remembering voting last year.”
While the voter turnout was significantly lower than last year’s, election coordinator Billy Oertel said the turnout wasn’t especially low compared to previous years.
“2015’s high voter turnout was related to a high-profile issue [Student Center Fee Referendum] on the ballot; the three previous elections (2012, 2013 and 2014) had turnouts similar to this years’,” he said.
Pinaula noted various circumstances as to why voter turnout was low. “Some things that were different this year include no student portal message being sent out to remind students, no all-staff email being sent out to remind teachers (to announce to students) and elections brochures were late getting made,” he said.
The winners were mainly from the Justice League slate, a diversity-based platform, winning eight out of 12 positions. Only two members of the opposing Rebel Alliance slate were voted into office. Two other winning candidates had no party affiliation.
Jordan Panana Carbajal of the Justice League won 392-57 against write-in candidate Gilbert Stone of the Rebel Alliance for SGA president.
“Most noteworthy, a number of students from underrepresented student groups were elected to Associated Students for a second year,” said assistant director of student affairs Dean Tahir in a faculty email.
Name of Office……………………………..# of Votes
SGA President
Jordan Panana Carbajal (JL)………..392
Gilbert Stone (RA)……………………………………57
Executive Vice President of Petaluma
Emanuell “Manny” Monter……………267
Ana Belem Sanchez…………………………………186
Vice President of Advocacy
Hernan Rai Zaragoza Lemus (JL)….295
Maleehai Rodriguez………………………………..161
Vice President of Committees
Maria Fernando Salcido (JL)…………427
Vice President of Student Health
Sarai Rebeca Vargas (JL)……………..214
Hannah Cagle (RA)…………………………………199
Zoe Moore……………………………………………….61
Vice President of Membership & Marketing
Eduardo Osorio Juarez (JL)………….414
Vice President of Student Life
Abel Fernando Galindo (JL)…………266
Robert Martinez (RA)…………………………..195
Vice President of Organizations
Joshua Pinaula (RA)…………………..394
Vice President of Diversity
Hector Jimenez (JL)……………………241
Enrique Martinez (RA)…………………………219
Vice President of Finance
Gavin N. Johnston (RA)………………394
Vice President of Sustainability
LaMont Jerome Powell (JL)……….268
Michal Steiner (RA)……………………………..195
Student Trustee
Sabrina Rawson………………………412
Transportation Survey Results
Yes………………………………………..393
No…………………………………………………..173
Total number of votes……………..566
