With the ballots now closed, students can vote in the Buffalo State College Student Elections in the Campbell Student Union Lobby from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting March 31 through April 3.

But is it worth it for students to stop by the poll and vote?

Based on approximate figures of student enrollment, about 12 percent of the campus’s 12,000 students voted in last year’s election. About 13 percent of the population of Buffalo voted in last year’s mayoral elections.

The numbers pale in comparison to the 59 percent voter turnout in the last presidential election.

“I think the more local the election is, the less attention it gets,” said Trevor Tomion, a senior majoring in individualized studies.

Tomion said he only recently heard about the elections, but didn’t know enough about the candidates to cast his vote.

Alyssa Grove, psychology student, said she has voted in the past when the elections were done online through bengalconnect.com.

When asked if her votes were based on familiarity with the candidates, she said she didn’t know any of the candidates.

“I actually just read a little of the short bio under each of the candidates and based it off of that,” Grove said.

Grove said that she votes because USG puts on a lot of events on campus and it is important to actually pick someone that will promote activities for students to participate in.

Another student, Rachel Algbedo, said that it is important to vote so that students have the best of the best to take care of them and make sure that what they want is upheld.

“It is important for our voices to be heard because we are a necessity to this campus and if it wasn’t for us there wouldn’t be a campus,” Algbedo said.

Algbedo added that some of the candidates that she voted for in last year’s election were elected, but that she does not feel like they changed things for the better.

Angelice Romero, journalism and anthropology student, said that she voted in past elections and will be voting in the upcoming election because she feels that every person’s opinion is going to make a difference one way or another.

“It’s important to vote just to be able to get your voice out there and feel like you are part of something bigger,” Romero said.

Adonis T.W. Kernen, executive vice president of USG, said that experience is the benefit of any position in USG.

“How do you deal with different situations in terms of personality dynamics?” Kernen said.

The USG executive branch positions available for reelection as per the USG Constitution are the president, executive vice president, treasurer, vice president for academic affairs, vice president for campus affairs and government relations, vice president for public relations, and vice president for student life and senators (40 to be elected).

The President of USG appoints the secretary, vice treasurer and rules and regulations chair, who all have to currently be a Senator.

The elected students will start their one-year term June 1.