AT the end of every election, one thing will always be – an ever-present choice: to abstain. A brief review of the history of campus elections for the Tertiary Schools shows one consistent thing: student apathy, and domination of abstention. These two things go hand in hand in defining the landscape of student leadership within the collegiate department of SBCA, but what picture do these two things paint for us?

        Students have shown little to no interest in the campus elections, with initial votings from the previous years amassing a small portion of the student population’s votes, notably in the April 2022 elections, having a total of only 372 votes, when 365 votes were needed for a candidate to be elected. The target number was only 30% of the total population, far below the expected 51% from standard elections. If  students don’t care about the elections, why should they be counted?

        The total population is considered in the pool of votes as a non-voting student is technically considered a full abstaining vote for all candidates. In totality, if the majority of the students don’t trust the candidates running for positions in the Council, then how can any of us follow their leadership? There lies the essence of abstaining, a call for better leaders, and for those who run to make themselves better. 

        Abstention has become pivotal to the culture of leadership within SBCA, especially during the pandemic, having only one surviving party in the race for seats in the Council. An annual theme, candidates rarely face competitors for their positions, which, in complete honesty, has made the elections look like a joke. And that isn’t even a shade to anyone as in the previous and currently running campaigns, it is as if the platforms and projects have become obsolete concepts in candidates’ game plans for winning students over. Almost like a second thought, candidates have only published their platforms either after being asked or after a competitor has done so. The joke? Platforms that form holes in themselves, with some promising inclusivity, but proceed to name projects that only cater to specific circles. 

        Abstaining has lost its name, oblivious to its power, and abandoned by the people. Thus, candidates have become complacent. Sure enough in winning, whether through the eventual upturning of votes in special elections or appointment. The silence in the students who have no clear candidate to support should be indicative enough of the body’s call for better leaders. Leaders who may have no opponents but seek to prove their capabilities regardless. Leaders who fear students shading the option to abstain against them. Leaders who practice true transparency, admitting wrongs in the face of evidence. Leaders who listen to their constituents and to their needs, not just ambitions. 

        But SBCA will never find those leaders, not as long as abstaining remains too little of a force to fear, not until you, the voter, the reader, and the thinker, ever truly ponder over letting a candidate win just to get over the elections. Assess and examine their presented platforms, their credentials, and their outlook. Get a glimpse of how they work, converse with the community, and most importantly, vote. Whether your vote goes to someone or to abstain- make your voice known. As with a simple shade in a circle right next to the word “Abstain” comes a demand for what the students of the community deserve.