ELBO seats filled after two years of shortage

For the first time in two years, all Elections Board (ELBO) seats are filled following Monday's selection of three new members.

Freshmen Jennifer Salluzzo, Abby Lillianfeld, and Elizabeth Oo have joined Chair Joe Coletti and Vice-Chair Andrew Stearns as ELBO board members. The board oversees elections for positions on the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate, the TCU Judiciary, and the Committee on Student Life (CSL).

Coletti and Stearns were the only members of ELBO when they conducted the general elections last spring and the freshmen elections this fall. The additional members will allow them to spread the work out so "no one will be overwhelmed and a [we will be a] more efficient body," Coletti said.

When ELBO has three or fewer members, the amount of work becomes overwhelming because there is no one who can take care of some of the smaller tasks and details, Coletti said. Since elections occur at the beginning of the year and are not spread out throughout the year, "there's so much to do right away."

A committee made up of the chairs and members of the Senate, Judiciary, and CSL appointed the new members. Salluzzo, Lillianfeld and Oo were the only candidates who ran for the three open spots. The appointment process was "pretty casual," Salluzzo said.

Lillianfeld will serve as treasurer, Salluzzo as director of public relations, and Oo as historian and assistant director of public relations. Each member will conduct specific internal tasks required to run an election, such as confirming the status of candidates, setting up debates, and putting advertisements in campus publications, Coletti said.

Even though all three new members are freshmen, Salluzzo does not doubt that they will be positive additions to the board. "...It will make it easier on [Coletti and Stearns'] part," she said.

The April general elections mark the first scheduled, ELBO-run elections this academic year, allowing ample time to train the new members. ELBO will soon hold a training session with Student Activities Director Jodie Nealley.

Unscheduled elections can arise, however, if a senator, judiciary member, or CSL member quits mid-year. Coletti is confident that the new members will be able to conduct an efficient election if such a situation arises. "You learn by doing," Coletti said, although additional training may be needed. "They may not pick up everything during the election," he said.

The Office of Students Activities began an ELBO member-training program last year, after last year's freshmen senate election mishap. Then-Chair of ELBO Shane Mason did not communicate effectively with fellow members, causing election postponement and the resignation of most of the board, former member Valentino Caruso told the Daily last year. Additionally, information was not sent to I-Ballot.com, the company which was to hold the elections online.

While many have referred to ELBO membership as a thankless job, Salluzzo is not fazed. "It's behind the scenes. I don't think anybody expects more than that," she said. What matters is that "they enjoy it and they get things done."

Salluzzo became aware of ELBO's role on campus when she ran for Senate last month. During the freshmen elections, she "admired all the work [Coletti] put into it."

"I wanted to be involved in student government, and since Senate didn't work out ELBO seemed like a good possibility," Salluzzo said.