With additional funding from Associated Students Inc.’s budget surplus going toward election promotion and student awareness, voter turnout is expected to surpass last year’s 8 percent student turnout.

“We are desperately hopeful for an increase in voter turnout,” said Executive Director of ASI Pat Worley of the elections that begin 8 a.m., April 25 and end at 7:30 p.m., April 26.

The $10,000 surplus from last year’s ASI operating fund was allocated for activities to increase voter turnout for this year’s election, said Angel Barajas, president of ASI.

Olgalilia Ramirez, director of governmental affairs for ASI, said ASI hopes to get a 20 percent turnout, which would more than double last year’s participation.

The money allocated for election promotion is being used for many promotional outlets including, pins, T-shirts, Java City coffee sleeves, balloons, posters and banners. Ramirez said the posters and other materials are not dated, so they can be used for future elections.

“This is investing in our future,” Ramirez said. “No other elections have been conducted this way; with so much energy.”

Randy Morgan, director of finance and administration, said the election is costing around $3,000, down from approximately $25,000 for previous elections.

“Electronic media are saving the student body a lot of money to go toward other activities,” Morgan said.

For students who make it to the voting booth, three measures will be included on the ballot. Measure 1 would lower the current requirements for undergraduate students running for executive positions by allowing them to be enrolled in two fewer units.

“The purpose of the bill is to increase the ability for students to run (in order to) increase participation,” Barajas said.

Measure 2 would require candidates for president and vice president to be enrolled in at least seven units at Sacramento State during the semester the election is held, as well as in the semesters that they serve.

Measure 3 would require all functions or activities of ASI be limited to those authorized by the California State University Board of Trustees. Consent will be required from the trustees for ASI to perform functions outside of those already permitted.

Although this policy is already in place, it is not written into the current ASI bylaws, Worley said.

Also on the ballot will be a list of qualified campus organizations that will receive $2 for every student that checks one organization from the list. The money is funded by ASI’s general operating budget, Morgan said.

Last year’s most voted for campus organization was the College Republicans with 165 votes, followed by the College Democrats with 156. The Engineering and Computer Science Society both received 146 votes.

“The club ballot is an incentive to get more people to vote. Close to $1,000 went to clubs and organizations here on campus last election,” Morgan said.

Elections will be conducted entirely online, a process which began for the fall 2004 special elections and is intended to be a mainstay for all subsequent voting, Worley said.

Election locations include the Library Quad, west side union walkway, Riverfront Center patio, Student Access Center and any computer with Internet access by going to ASI’s Web site.

Maxwell Puckett can be reached at [email protected]