1. 53 Tips to Improve Your Student Government Elections
POSSIBLE HEADS
How Effective Is Your SG?
Are you as good as you really think?
Take Student Leader’s “SG Test” to find out how you stack up with your peers across the country.
OVERHEAD OF TITLE
OK, it’s time for truth—no exaggerating, embellishing, or outright lying allowed. Just answer this simple, but absolutely vital, question: Just how effective is your Student Government? Are you one of the best in America?
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2/8/02—updated for conference
W.H. “Butch” Oxendine, Jr.
ASGA Executive Director Copyright All rights reserved.

2. Average SG election turnout is 2%!!!
Private: 15-20% Public: 10-15% Community College: under 2%

3. You must have HIGHER turnout if you want to be respected by fellow students and administrators

4. So How Do You IMPROVE Your SG Elections?

5. 1. Make sure your SG does REAL stuff… What % of your time do you spend on issues?

6. 2. AGGRESSIVELY recruit more candidates (you must have contested races if you expect students to vote)

7. More Tips 3. Use ONLINE voting 4. MORE poll locations 5
More Tips 3. Use ONLINE voting 4. MORE poll locations 5. Make polls a SPECTACLE 6. Get HELP from supervisor of elections 7. Reconsider TIMING of elections 8. EXPAND # of election days

8. Time to Brainstorm: What Is the BEST Way to Improve SG Election Turnout?

9. The Rest of the Top 53
9. Use Facebook & Twitter 10. Create a candidate Video for YouTube 11. Be an “ambassador” About recruiting candidates 12. Speak to classes, organizations, orientation 13. Offer freebies to voters 14. Have a raffle with a great prize donated 15. Buy advertising space in your campus newspaper 16. Get info about the candidates to local newspaper, radio, and TV
17. Get the office of media relations to promote the candidates and election
18. Send out information to all faculty, staff & administrators by mail, fax and/or
19. Hold a candidate forum when students are at a specific location
20. Invest in pop-up display signs to promote elections in several locations on campus
21. Get fellow students to design a section of your web site that gives information, photos, and bios of each candidate

10. The Rest of the Top 53
22. Consider subsidizing candidate campaigns 23. Consider political parties which help unite students, raise money 24. Produce brochures about the perks of serving as an elected leaders 25. Make sure that each position is compensated to encourage participation from students who have to work or who have families and other obligations
26. Get video students to
shoot candidate profiles and
have them running on DVD
players at the polls and also on
campus TVs
27. Encourage candidates to
propose realistic changes in
their platforms
28. Time elections to coincide
with “real” elections
29. Offer live music during
elections (with the bands
encouraging voting in between
songs)

11. The Rest of the Top 53
30. Consider turnout requirement like Rollins College (40 percent to certify) 31. Get admissions team to “socialize” elections as critical parts of being a student 32. Have polls available during “games” of your athletic teams 33. Free coffee and donuts in the morning; free drinks in the afternoon 34. Actively campaign based on a platform 35. Run as ticket/party
36. Use instant-runoff voting
37. Consider spending limits
38. Produce t-shirts, buttons,
flyers, banners, and other
“publicity” gimmicks
39. Improve election codes so
they are “loop-hole free”
40. Consider if your election
penalties are too harsh/lenient
41. Make running easier
42. Try to have e-board
elections accompanied by a
campuswide vote on an
important measure/issue

12. The Rest of the Top 53 49. Mail/e-mail incoming
freshmen and transfer students
about fall elections and
running for office
50. Mail information about
candidates to student
homes/residence halls
51. Use college computer
screen savers to promote
elections
52. Set up “mobile” polls and
move them around campus
throughout the election
53. Get the college president to
help you promote elections
43. Loosen candidate GPA
requirements
44. Produce mandatory candidate training before elections
45. Recruit political science/marketing classes to help you develop marketing strategy
46. Solicit advice of political science professors about ways to boost turnout
47. Survey students about most
convenient locations for polls 48. Give out election
information at every student
program/event

13. Contact Butch Call me at 877-ASK-ASGA E-mail butch@asgaonline.com
My private extension is 103
I promise to return all calls and s!