Every Vote Counts in Cabot House

Every vote counts, but in Cabot House, every vote counts more.

Seven write-in votes from a handful of blockmates were enough to catapult three Cabot students--Benjamin L. McKean '02, David B. Orr '01 and Michael Rosenberg '01--into the Undergraduate Council in this fall's election.

In an election that drew about a quarter of the student body to the polls, Cabot's seven-vote turnout represents less than one-fiftieth of the House's overall population.

Cabot residents had little reason to vote: the House that was once the home of current Council Vice President John A. Burton '01 did not field any candidates for the ballot.

So, when elections began Wednesday, Oct. 4, the voting was dominated by a few acquaintances of the winners, who wrote them in as candidates. All of the winners say they had no intention of running for a position on the council's newly downsized governing body.

Only one, Rosenberg, say he intends to honor his electoral mandate.

"Since I was elected, I'll serve to the best of my abilities," Rosenberg says. "But I've been kind of thrown into this, so I don't have any priorities or goals yet."

David B. Orr '01 who was elected to his second term in council, says he is still not sure whether he will serve for a second term.

"I'm not excited about being elected," Orr says. "I did it last year, and I didn't want to do it again."

McKean says the council does not fit into his future plans.

"My blockmates wrote me in as a joke," McKean says. "I don't have the time, so I'm not going to serve."

Both McKean and Rosenberg say they aren't surprised by the low voter turnout--they didn't even know the election was happening.

McKean says the student body's perception of the council likely contributed to the low turnout.

"Generally speaking, people don't have a lot of respect for the [council], so it doesn't encourage voters," McKean says. "If the [council] had any real decision-making authority, the seats would be more contested. But all they can do is plead with the administration."

And according to Rosenberg, the randomization of the Houses has decreased interest in council elections because their particular House's interests aren't as much at stake.

"People wonder if a representative from Cabot House would be any different than one from, say, Eliot," he says.