McMaster voting apathy

By: Connor Blakeborough

Political apathy has been a huge problem in the McMaster student body since I started at Mac in 2013. With the recent referendum results and the added statistics regarding voter participation being high in relation to general student involvement, but low in terms of percentage of eligible voters actually participating, it has become clear that student apathy towards campus politics is holding back progress at McMaster.

Only 18 per cent of eligible voters voted in the last set of referenda put out by MSU Elections. These are decisions that matter. These are the referenda that decide how the money you spend on tuition and student fees are allocated and spent. If you want your money being spent in a manner that best represents your interests, you need to vote in these referenda. The democratic principles embodied by the MSU are aimed at increasing transparency, voter representation and an accurate depiction of student opinion.

If you don’t vote or participate in student politics in the easiest, most convenient form of online voting, you have no right to complain when your opinions aren’t represented by the student union. It blows my mind how quick people are to complain about student services and McMaster without taking the necessary steps to make their voices heard. You have the power to change things you don’t like — this is why the student union exists. The MSU is here to represent your interests as a student, and strive for goals that have you in mind. But you need to do your part and participate.

Apathy in regards to student politics is ultimately holding back possible progress and change at McMaster.  Being politically active does not have to be as involved as standing on a picket line outside of an institution you can’t stomach, nor does it have to be writing a strongly worded letter to the head of an MSU department. It can be as simple as being informed about what goes on around campus, and taking 30 seconds to open your email and vote in the referendums that very directly affect your life.

It’s important to not attribute the relatively disconnected feel of national and provincial politics to campus politics. The way that MSU policy and votes affect you comes in stark contrast to the way federal and provincial politics does. The results of campus politics are much more immediate and impactful than wide scale Canadian politics. This makes it even more important for you to be involved, because your vote really does matter in a real way. Results change with increased voter participation, regardless of where you stand on the issues.

Ultimately, the lack of voter participation and increased sense of political apathy amongst the student body holds back the MSU in making change that accurately represents the very students that fund it. Set aside the few minutes you need to stay informed and have your opinion heard. Your vote does matter.