Students at the University of Mississippi will have the opportunity to cast their votes for executive positions and senatorial roles for the university’s Associated Student Body (ASB) today — March 24. Voting for spring ASB elections will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and to participate, students can find the student elections under the “Get Involved” tab on myOleMiss.
In recent years, ASB has struggled to garner substantial participation from undergraduate students, especially in comparison to personality elections that are held in the fall, which often double or triple spring elections in terms of voter turnout.
In spring 2025, 2,645 students cast a ballot in ASB elections, representing roughly 9.3% of the university’s reported 28,405 students. By comparison, 5,475 students cast a vote in the fall 2024 elections, more than twice the amount of spring voters.
To engage more students, candidates campaign heavily through social media to spread awareness of the elections. ASB also hosts tabling events in front of the Union Plaza in the weeks leading up to election day.
ASB Attorney General Madison Waldrop, a senior integrated marketing communications major from Birmingham, Ala., is in charge of ASB elections. She spoke on how ASB has worked to encourage student participation in ASB elections.
“We handed out donuts, ‘I voted’ stickers and had an election day raffle that allowed voters to enter their name in hopes of winning free workout classes, rounds of golf at the Ole Miss Golf Course or an Ole Miss swag pack from different local businesses,” Waldrop said.
For some students, these outreach efforts have influenced their decision to turn out during spring elections.
“Yes, actually, because someone came and spoke at our (fraternity) house, so yes, (I will vote),” Jack Welsh, a junior marketing major and member of the Sigma Nu fraternity from Birmingham, Ala., said.
Many students at the university are unmotivated to work in ASB elections because they are not involved on campus or engaged with ASB’s work. Justine Vladyka is a freshman studies major from Phoenix who was unaware of the election.
“No, I do not plan on voting,” Vladyka said. “I don’t know anything about it. … I’m not involved enough.”
Freshman English major Billy Flowers from Mountain Brook, Ala., however, believes these spring elections are important for the future of the university.
“Yes, I plan on voting in the ASB elections,” Flowers said. “It’s important to exercise our right to vote to better my university and apply ideas that I think are important to the university.”
Jake Caldwell, a sophomore Arabic and international studies major from Johns Creek, Ga., is planning to vote, though, with less enthusiasm than Flowers.
“I’ll admit I didn’t know it was tomorrow, but yes, I am planning on voting because it’s pretty convenient to go in and vote,” Caldwell said. “Truthfully … a lot of people I know are running, and they’d be disappointed in me if I didn’t vote.”
ASB aims to serve as a representative organization for the entire student body. The student body’s sub-10% voter turnout, however, complicates ASB’s ability to fully represent or act as the voice for students.
“The complaint we’re always given is that your vote doesn’t matter because you don’t vote,” Caldwell said, referring to low voter apathy and confusion on what student government does. “I feel like if enough students go out and vote, we can see if that’s true or not.”
Waldrop believes that informing students about policy changes brought about by ASB will help bring students to the polls.
“It’s really important to vote because students don’t realize that the candidates are advocating to the administration and making real change,” Waldrop said. “Over the past year, we’ve seen decreased prices at football games on concessions, have been advocates for campus-wide attendance policy and have done so many things that directly benefit students.”
