Turnout in yesterday’s UPUA election reached an all time high of 6,801 votes, handily beating the previous record of 5,936, which was set in 2007.

The Collegian reports:

[Valerie] Russell (senior-political science) added the high turnout could be attributed to the work of the elections commission’s getting the vote out in the weeks before the election, as well as the campaign teams of each ticket.

Really? Just about 18% of the student body counts as a high turnout? 18%? Really?

The UPUA is the student voice to the Administration, an important job with many responsibilities. Student responses to tuition increases, new building campaigns, and other issues are funneled through this organization.

Though the presidential election this fall was of a profoundly different magnitude, the UPUA election is more likely to affect our day-to-day experiences at Penn State. It’s not like voting in the election was hard. I did it in 30 seconds. Was Facebook just too captivating yesterday to spare that amount of time? That only 18% of the student body voted shows that we are, on average, apathetic; but to consider an 18% turn out to be high… that’s just pathetic.

[Source]