The Refresh Party swept the University of Memphis student government elections last week, winning all Senate seats and capturing the president and vice president elections in a landslide.
Natalie Moore, vice president elect of student government and former senator, said she was encouraged by the wave of support.
“I’m excited, honored,†She said. “I feel like I saw a lot of love and support from people on campus.â€
Despite the Refresh Party’s overwhelming victory at the polls, less than 7 percent of students voted — a 4 percent drop from the year before.
Last year, 2,226 students voted in the student government election. This year only 1,394 went to the polls, which were accessible through the U of M website.
Voter turnout in 2014 was 1,524. “Some people just don’t see value in voting,†Moore said.
“We need to tell people more about why it’s important to vote, and SGA will need to do more to make sure students know how easy it is to vote.â€
Low voter turnout strongly correlates to the small number of students who actually participate in campus activities, Jared Moses, president elect of student government, said.
Moses said he plans to make a real effort in reaching out to commuter students, non-traditional students and other groups who don’t normally join in on campus activities.
“We are going to have to go out and try to figure out how to bridge the gap between these different demographics,†he said.
Moses won 75 percent of the vote, beating his opponent Nicolas D’Alto of the People’s Party by more than 725 votes.
Refresh didn’t just win the executive offices; they won every seat they ran for in the senate.
Jacob Wheeler, election commissioner of U of M’s student government, said he wasn’t sure why the election was so lopsided but speculated it could have been their sheer numbers.
Refresh Party candidates Jared Moses and Natalie Moore trounced their opponents Nicolas D’Alto and Jarad Jirari of the People’s Party during Friday’s student government election.
“I think the Refresh Party had a full slate of candidates,†Wheeler said. “They had more people running and working for their campaigns.â€
The People’s Party had just 12 people running for office compared to Refresh’s 38.
Despite their different sizes, both parties spent nearly the same amount on their election. Refresh spent $868 on their campaign, while the People’s Party spent $885. The most expensive item in both parties’ budgets was food.
According to election commission records, Refresh bought 400 doughnuts from Gibson’s Donuts for $270
