The time is here. SGA elections are next week. And it’s important for you to vote. 

While there will be only one ticket on the ballot for president and vice president, two other tickets have declared themselves write-in candidates. With three tickets running for these positions, it’s even more important for students to pay attention and vote.

Last year, 5.9% of students voted. The year before — which was the last election with more than one declared candidate for president and vice president — 8.4% of students voted, that is only 1,079 of the 12,837 eligible voters.

Olivia Gallegos and Mitchell Adamson are the only declared candidates for the 65th session. The write-in tickets are Hunter Minette and Annie Wasinger, and William Shropshire and Zane Berry.

The ballot also includes college-specific, at-large, and special constituency senator spots.

You might think that it doesn’t matter who holds offices in the Student Government Association. We would disagree with you. 

Every student has to pay student fees money to the university and SGA is responsible for allocating this money to WSU’s different organizations, departments and student scholarships. They decide where your money goes. The SGA president and other SGA members have the job of sharing students’ concerns with the people who can make the real changes. 

It’s not just important to vote.  It is also important to research candidates’ platforms and what they stand for. What are they going to be advocating for during their time as president and vice-president? Before you decide who to vote for, be able to answer that question.

These are people who are supposed to be fighting for you. It’s your job to vote for the candidates you best believe would represent the entire student body. SGA officials don’t get to choose who the next president and vice president is. You do. Don’t take that opportunity for granted.

Don’t vote? Then don’t complain. Make your voice heard and submit your ballot on April 4-6.