Votes cast in Student Senate will be recorded and available to the student body beginning next semester.

Senate approved the measure, which calls for a record by Senator name of all votes on resolutions or appropriations. It was tabled last week; this week it was recalled, discussed and approved during the Nov. 12 meeting.

“I have been in discussion with some other people and we have come to the conclusion that we like the resolution as is and we do not want to reword it,” said Johnathan Saunders, freshman political science major. “It’s not specific on how to record it and that’s the beauty of it because we don’t limit it to one way.”

Senators last week discussed holding the resolution until an online voting system was approved and put in place.

Some senators voted against the measure.

Stephen Golden, freshman political science major, said student interest in Senate results was too low to justify the additional time in recording each Senator’s name and vote.

“I did not see the point in taking the effort to count the votes,” Golden said. “It’s not a bad thing – it’s extravagant.

Howie Lindeman, sophomore English major, spoke out in favor of the measure during last week’s meeting. This week he voted against it because Senate had not decided on a way to record the votes.

“We need to be able to do it accurately and quickly,” Lindeman said. “If anybody cares – it needs to be out there.”

Lindeman said he favored paper ballots over a roll call vote as a time-saving measure.

The resolution leaves the recording method up to the Senate secretary. It requires records be kept for attendance and votes on appropriations and resolutions for the minimum of an academic year. The measure does not specify where or how the records be kept.

Other Business

Senators heard a report from Lindeman on the food committee.

An appropriation request for $1,000 to help fund an annual trip for the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association was approved.