This year, 2,347 University of Massachusetts students voted in the race for the Student Government Association (SGA) presidency.

The total votes accounted for roughly thirteen percent of the total student population.

“There is political apathy that permeates throughout America and is exemplified here on campus,” said Carla Dominguez, speaker for the SGA. “We all pay money towards a student activities trust fund and it only makes sense for the students to vote in order to have a say in where the money is allocated.”

Each student at UMass pays $91 per year in a student activities fee which amounts to $364 over a typical student’s four-year, college career. In total, each year the SGA is given a $1.8 million budget, which on March 6 and March 7, 87 percent of UMass students lost the opportunity to influence where that money could be spent because they did not vote.

“I didn’t vote but I was aware of the elections,” said UMass junior Daniel Grant. “Every time I was near a booth I was on my way to class or didn’t have time.”

After being informed of the $91 fee and $1.8 million budget, Grant said he would have been more likely to have filled out a ballot.

“If I had known this beforehand it would have been more likely that I would have voted,” he said.

UMass freshman Ammaar Mirza was also unaware of the $91 fee he pays each year to the SGA.

“Now that I realize I am giving money to the SGA, I would have voted to make sure the right candidate was picked to be president,” Mirza said.

“We definitely worked very hard to reach out to every student here at UMass,” said Dominguez.

The newly elected Malcolm Chu and Lindsay McCluskey reportedly knocked on every door in the residence halls and held a meeting with the respective constituencies during their one week of campaigning.

Additionally flyers promoting the elections along with the candidates were hung all over campus.

Election tables were at all of the Dining Commons on campus along with the Campus Center which accommodated for the UMass students who do not use the DCs.

The election tables were open for a total of seven hours each day on both March 6 and 7.

In the 2004 presidential election, out of eligible voters, 60% of United States citizens participated.

“You see the same trend in voting here as you do in federal, state or town elections,” said Sarah Morgan, SGA attorney general. “Students find their school work and extracurriculars to be more important than campus politics.”

One student who did vote was UMass junior Karina Martinez.

“I always feel it is important to get involved,” she said. “Students can make an impact when it comes down to the allocation of resources pertaining to clubs and student organizations.”

“I didn’t care to vote because most of the decisions made through the SGA will not have a huge impact on my education, there are a lot of little random organizations that we have to give money to that’s included in our tuition and it is to much to keep track of,” said junior, Jack Mitten. “Maybe if the SGA offered something like a free weekly smoothie I would be more inclined to vote.”

Joshua Walovitch can be reached at [email protected]