In a historic Student Senate election that boasted the largest turnout in recent history, 78 percent of voters voiced no confidence in Ohio University President Roderick McDavis, and the independent sophomore candidate who ran the most visible anti-McDavis campaign lost the presidential race by only 17 votes.
About 4,600 students – 23 percent of the entire student body, using fall enrollment figures — turned out to vote as TOGA party candidates took all three of the senate’s top offices. Tim Vonville, Amanda Roder and Will Wemer were elected president, vice president and treasurer, respectively, but independent candidate Will Klatt trailed Vonville by only 17 votes.
“That’s so insanely close it’s ridiculous,” Vonville said. “That’s kind of crazy.”
Last year, only about 400 students voted in a one-party election, and in 2005, 1,447 students voted. The year 2004, however, saw approximately a 20 percent turnout.
McDavis, after meeting with a group of about 30 black students who gathered outside his home after results were announced last night, refused to comment but issued a statement saying he was not surprised by the no confidence vote.
“It is a natural response during a time when people on campus are feeling anxious and uncertain,” he said in the statement, which cited a decline in state support, the cutting of four sports and increases in tuition as potential reasons for the negative vote.
Klatt, who was the only of the three top presidential vote getters to publicly state that he voted no confidence, said the close vote showed the elections were “not just a popularity contest.”
“I didn’t think I had a chance in the world,” he said, adding that he was not surprised with the vote of no confidence. “I think it’s a sad day for a neo-liberal university and a great day for democracy.”
Pulse presidential candidate Patrick Heery, the leader of the election’s only other major party, lost to Vonville by 120 votes. Independent candidate Shane Tilton lost by 1,228 votes.
“The university chose their drinking buddy,” Heery said. “(Vonville is) going to have to become far more versed in academic issues.”
Heery would not comment on his confidence vote and said he respects the voters’ decision. But he added that students voted down the first-ever diverse ticket and one that was focused on change and the environment. TOGA captured 22 total positions, including the top three spots, to Pulse’s 15.
Vonville — who also would not comment on how he voted on the confidence issue — said his first step as president will be to learn more about the reasons for the lack of confidence in McDavis.
“We’re going to qualitatively assess why the vote worked the way it did,” he said.
On the other ballot issues, 75 percent of voters either disagreed or strongly disagreed that the administration respects student opinion in the decision-making process; 74 percent of voters either disagreed or strongly disagreed that the administration seeks out student opinion; and 65 percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed that the administration makes budget and financial information available.
This year’s elections used electronic ballots for the first time with only minor glitches. About 130 students voted before the polls opened at 8 a.m., and four residence halls — Bromley, Voigt, Bryan and Scott Quad — were not listed in the student information system as being on the residential greens, said Janelle Nichols, Student Senate Board of Elections chairwoman.
That meant representatives for East and West greens were not chosen, and the students who voted early did not have those votes counted. However, those voting early were alerted by e-mail to recast their votes during the polling hours, and the board will announce on Monday how it will handle the votes of those in affected residence halls, Nichols said.
In the Graduate Student Senate race, incumbent President Dominic Barbato was re-elected.
— David M. Hendricks Jr. contributed to this article.
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