by Scott Albright
Daily Lobo
The PAC slate took eight of 10 ASUNM Senate seats in Wednesday's elections.
Two of the JIVE slate's six members were elected.
PAC members won every seat they ran for.
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Sebastian Pais Iriart, a PAC member, received 366 votes, the most in the Senate race.
"It feels great," he said. "I'll be there to represent their (the student body) interests."
Adelicia Otero, a JIVE slate candidate, said it was bad luck that she didn't get elected.
"It feels fabulous to be No. 13 and not get elected," she said.
Jeramie "Chewy" White, a JIVE slate candidate, said it didn't matter that he was only one of two candidates from his slate who were elected. JIVE ran six
candidates.
"I represent the same no matter who I'm with," he said.
He said he is curious to see how well the PAC slate performs.
"I'm excited to see what the new members have to bring to the plate," he said.
Jimmy Lee Gutierrez, a member of PAC, won the 10th spot with one more vote than independent candidate Angel Padilla.
"I want to thank the UNM community for voting for a change," Gutierrez said. "First in the U.S. Senate and the House, and now at ASUNM."
Nas Manole, elections chairman, said the election ran smoothly.
"Elections are at a good point," he said. "I think we reached a peak in efficiency."
Students voted on computers in this year's election, a change from the paper ballot system used in the past.
Manole said the votes were sent to a secure ITS database in encrypted code. About 30 minutes after the polls closed, the results were sent back to ASUNM's office in the SUB.
"All it takes is a couple of clicks of the mouse," Manole said. After the votes were counted, Manole and his staff called candidates to notify them of the results.
There were 721 students who voted in this year's elections. About 600 students voted in the fall 2005 elections. There are 18,199 undergraduate students at UNM, according to the Office of the Registrar.
Manole said he was happy with the turnout.
Student Catherine Garofali said she didn't vote, because the candidates aren't good representatives of students.
"I didn't know who any of the candidates were," she said. "I'm from North Campus. I don't feel like anybody solicits our opinion on things. I think that a senator could better represent
students by contacting North Campus students."
Student Tasha-Kay Nielipinski said she didn't have time to learn who the candidates were, so she didn't bother voting.
"I don't really know anything about the student government here," she said. "I can't expect them to represent me, because they don't know me. I don't know them. I don't know who they are."
Gutierrez said he would deliver the voice of the students to ASUNM.
"We want change," he said. "We're tired of the same old politics. We will do our best to deliver our promises to the student body."
Amendment 1 passed with 508 votes, an approval of 91 percent. The amendment requires the Student Publications Board to submit an annual budget memorandum to ASUNM. There were 152 votes against the amendment.
The opinion poll on whether smoking should be banned on campus was closer, with 55 percent voting yes to the ban and 45 percent
voting no.
ASUNM election results
Senate
721 votes cast
Winners:
Sebastian Pais Iriart (PAC) - 366 votes
Alicia Castro (PAC) - 353 votes
Elizabeth Silva (PAC) - 338 votes
Laura Hernandez (PAC) - 331 votes
Jeramie "Chewy" White (JIVE) - 329 votes
Evan Harris (PAC) - 325 votes
Antoinette Murphy (PAC) - 324 votes
Matt Beck (JIVE) - 323 votes
Chris Knight (PAC) - 321 votes
Jimmy Lee Gutierrez (PAC) - 305 votes
Losers:
Angel Padilla (IND) - 304 votes
Wellsley Loyd (JIVE) - 282 votes
Adelicia Otero (JIVE) - 272 votes
Brandale Mills (JIVE) - 249 votes
Lauren Miles (JIVE) - 213 votes
Amendment 1, which requires the Student Publications Board to submit an annual budget memorandum to ASUNM:
710 votes cast
Approve - 508 votes
Disapprove - 50 votes
Abstain - 152
Opinion poll - Should smoking be banned on campus?
715 votes cast
Yes - 363 votes
No - 300 votes
Abstain - 52
