Voting for Brady referendum begins
Published April 12, 2005
After weeks of seeing ads touting the expansion of Brady Commons, MU students will be able to cast their votes this week.
Online voting for the referendum began Monday evening and will continue until 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Students can vote online at www.students.missouri.edu/vote. Students can also vote with paper ballots near the Brady Fountain from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.
Tara Brandenburger, Missouri Students Association Board of Elections Commissioners chairwoman said the BEC plans to announce the results of the election at 8 p.m. Wednesday on the south side of Brady Commons.
To help advertise the vote, officials involved with the proposal held a barbecue dinner Monday night in the Brady Food Court from 10 p.m. until midnight.
Matt Sokoloff, student coordinator for the expansion, said there were floor plans available for the three floors of the proposed student center, and architects were available to talk to students. He said Missouri Unions distributed T-shirts promoting the new student center project.
Guitarist Adam Stanley performed at the event.
MU junior John Wyss, who attended the barbeque, said he supports the referendum.
"I'm definitely going to vote for it," Wyss said.
He said the proposed fee of $35 per semester is a lot, but he would pay it if Brady was improved. Wyss said he only uses Brady for the food court, and doesn't sit and eat or study because it is too crowded and noisy.
If the referendum passes, the activity fee would not go into effect until the first phase of construction is completed, which is scheduled for fall of 2008.
Brandenburger said there is nothing technically wrong with Brady representatives bringing in laptops to allow students to vote at the event. She said if the event organizers were to have polling places, they would be unofficial.
"There are no bylaws against it," Brandenburger said, "but we don't want them telling people how to vote."
Sokoloff said the BEC establishes polling places, and his committee did not set up any additional locations.
"There had been talk about setting up computers, but we have decided against that idea," Sokoloff said.
Sokoloff said he is optimistic about voter turnout for the election.
"I think we've seen a lot of people excited about the election," he said. "I think we're going to see a lot of people turn out to vote."
Brandenburger said she expects turnout to be similar to the numbers of the Student Recreation Complex expansion referendum, which was about 4,000 students.