Campaign rule raises fairness issue
The Student Association has neglected to address a growing problem. And the problem is something they essentially created with a vague and unenforceable rule about election campaigning.
According to the SA Constitution, which can only be changed by the SA Senate, Homecoming candidates may not use mass media to campaign. Recently, an ad has been appearing on Facebook that clearly endorses Mr. MSU candidate Michael Pennington.
However, Pennington claims he did not make the ad. He said that he didn’t know if any of his friends made it. Apparently, he is innocent of breaking the rules, even though he received a warning for the ad. This raises an issue: how can the SA enforce this campaign rule fairly?
This is not the first time that controversy has arisen over campaigning on Facebook. It happened in the spring and earlier this semester. Yet the SA Senate still hasn’t addressed this issue appropriately.
With people making ads without the knowledge and consent of candidates, there is no way this rule can be successful. Furthermore, it’s unfair to the candidates who follow the rules. They do not receive the same exposure that the advertised candidates get.
SA elections commissioner Spencer Broocks should be commended for doing his job and attempting to enforce this ridiculous and highly unenforceable rule.
We say throw the rule out. Election reform needs to happen.
This campaign rule chokes down the campaign process. What’s the point of running for a position if you can’t use mass media? Many wonder why voter turnout is minimal. The fact that voters don’t know anything about the candidates definitely plays into low turnout.
The candidates should have the ability to use mass media outlets. That’s what campaigning is all about: spreading your name to as many people as possible. Why shouldn’t the candidates be able to utilize technology in this age of information? This limitation shouldn’t be here.
The student population has increased this year. MSU President Charles Lee said he wanted to see student enrollment increase by 20,000 in the next few years. The candidates need to be able to reach these new students to increase voting or at least information about the Homecoming candidates.
Whether or not the rule stays is up to the SA Senate. The rule should be changed or thrown out, but we challenge the Senate to get something done instead of avoiding their duties as student representatives.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Jed Pressgrove, news editor Sara McAdory, assistant news editor Wade Patterson, sports editor Ross Dellenger, entertainment editor Tyler Stewart, managing editor Dustin Barnes and editor in chief Elizabeth Crisp.