Every student on campus is affected by the Student Government Association.

Only a few go out and return the favor.

SGA officer hopefuls are ramping up their campaigns in anticipation of voting next Tuesday, but while many candidates might think they are trying to win over students’ votes, they are actually fighting just to get students to vote for anyone.

Many, if not all, candidates round up votes from their friends and peers. Some students may vote out of duty or favor, while others may do so because they genuinely believe the candidate would perform well in the position.

But how many students were already planning on going to the polls anyway? Did rounding up their votes take their votes away from other candidates, or are they voting solely because they were asked to?

That is what these elections have turned into: who can herd the most votes?

Elections aren’t about telling people to go vote for you. Well, they are — it’s just not supposed to be that easy. Candidates should be fighting to win students’ votes from other candidates. It shouldn’t be as easy as spreading around your Facebook page and collecting “likes.”

But that isn’t really the case anymore. Now, candidates are fighting to win students’ time: the few minutes it takes to cast their votes.

This is obviously not the case for all student voters. Some still vote because they feel it is their duty or because they want their voice to be heard.

But that group shouldn’t be the minority. Students need to learn about candidates, form educated and informed opinions, and cast their votes accordingly.

Two weeks ago, we highlighted students’ inactivity in issues that affect the student body. That silence extends to voting as well. If students don’t like the way SGA handles things, they need to vote and make a difference instead of saying much and doing little.

Each year, students pay a $90 student body fee to TCU. SGA is responsible for allocating that money however it sees fit. How do you impact that spending? By voting.

If giving your money to SGA isn’t enough reason to vote, here’s another: there’s actually a competition for president this year.

Last year, current SGA President Cody Westphal ran unopposed for his second term. This year, students will vote for Maddie Reddick, a current student body vice president, or Jacob Greenstein, current academic affairs chair.

But don’t vote for either of them because you recognize their names. Read up on them and what they stand for, and cast your vote based on the best candidate for the job.

These candidates will be making decisions next year that will affect you.

Your actions on April 14 can impact those decisions.