Student voters split the ASUNM Senate race right down the middle Wednesday, electing five candidates each from the “Voice” slate and the “Make Your Mark” slate.
More than 1,400 students cast their ballots in the 2011 fall elections — the most in UNM history for fall elections.
Brandyn Jordan, who ran on the “Make Your Mark” slate, received 598 votes, the most of any candidate in this election.
“It feels good,” he said. “It’s really nerve-wracking, but I know I worked hard. It’s something that I’ve wanted for a really long time, and I know I can make a difference.”
Jordan said he was disappointed his fellow slate members didn’t secure more Senate seats.
“(If I could do it over,) I’d sleep less, work harder for the other individuals on my slate and tell my volunteers to vote, vote for everyone else,” he said.
Tyler Crawley, who ran on the “Voice” slate, was elected with 523 votes.
“It’s exciting to be a first-semester freshman and get this position,” he said. “I thought we had the greatest candidates, every one of them would make great senators, and I think … (they will) run again in the spring, and having already run will make them that much stronger.”
Those elected will take office at the beginning of next semester.
Claire Mize, executive director of the ASUNM Elections Commission, said the election ran smoothly, but a glitch in the voting system allowed four people to vote twice. The extra votes were thrown out, she said.
“As soon as we were aware of that, we contacted IT and they pulled those people and just counted their first vote,” Mize said.
Mize said her office is considering punishing the students who voted multiple times, but has not yet completed the investigation and is not releasing the names of the individuals who voted more than once as of 9 p.m. Wednesday night.
“It’s something we have options on; we haven’t decided at this point,” she said.
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Mize said the strong voter turnout was due in part to early voting, and said she hoped for even greater student participation in the spring.
“(Spring elections) are definitely a bigger deal because there’s a presidential and vice presidential candidate running,” she said.
“There’s more of the executive branch running, so people care a little bit more about it.”
Sens. Brandon Meyers and Caroline Muraida ran for re-election and retained their seats, but Sen. Jeff Herrera was not re-elected.
All three candidates ran on the “Voice” slate.
