Several Election candidates have expressed their dismay and feel ‘demoralised’ in the knowledge that Loughborough College students have been offered a Mars Bar as an incentive to vote throughout the three days of voting.
Potential candidates forecast that the ‘random’ voting for the sake of a chocolate bar may swing the most contested positions and provide an exec based upon ‘attractiveness and the best sweets’.
Loughborough College has been a notoriously difficult place to pick up votes after last year’s mere 100 votes ballots, so candidates have spent the last 16 days trying to raise awareness of the ongoing elections and how it will affect all students.
Despite the best efforts of candidates the majority of College students are believed to be oblivious, not only to the election period, but also the manifestos of each candidate, highlighting the masses of uninformed voters.
The college has played host to a large number of candidates today including Adam ‘Rocky Rae, Chris ‘Android’ Lloyd, Jason Painter, Pete ‘Papa Smurf’ Childs, Lucy Padolsey ‘Power’ and Michael ‘Luffman’ Munday all in hope that by catching college students on the way in they will secure a few ‘random’ votes.
VP: Democracy and Communication candidate, Luffman spoke to Label regarding the use of incentives to vote; ‘It’s good to get people voting, but thereare a lot of people who aren’t voting based on the manifestos and who would be the best candidate. Instead it’s come down to who has the best sweets’.
AU presidential candidate ‘Rocky’ Rae added; ‘The College is a great opportunity to win votes, people might not know what their voting for but having my presence here will make more people aware of my campaign’.
All the candidates down at the college remain concerned about the current voting system which may see them lose out by a margin to their opponents. Lucy Padolsey ‘Power’ echoed how ‘demoralised’ she feels in regards to the current incentive policy, but remains upbeat ahead of tonight’s reveal.
On the other hand, Lucy Hopkins said in a Twitter conversation with Label Online Content Editor, Ed White: "Is it "democracy" when under half the student body vote? How many "informed" voters vote in the general election?
"The more students,more chance we have of a democratic system. Your point is right tho – but more students engaged the better! but now for the very first time college students know who the executive are and will be engaged.
"Sweets are bribes as well……and getting free hey ewe! The more students who vote the more they know about the union and the more who benefit from it."
The controversial election process will be a hot topic for the newly elected exec, which will be revealed at tonight’s Hey EWE on stage in Room 1 and live on LSUTV at around 12am.
