So apparently college students are really apathetic

[Kitteh]

You think university students are apathetic? Try community college students. I don't know the actual numbers but the last student government elections had maybe 50ish people voting (that's being generous) out of a campus with almost 20,000 students

[Kitteh]

Elections are held in February at Sciences Po. Turnout was 22% last year, 21% in 2011, 28% in 2010, 27% in 2009, 25% in 2008, 28% in 2007 and 25% in 2006. No idea what caused the sharp drop between 2010 and 2011...

I voted last year and the year before, but this time I don't care enough to cast an absentee ballot.

It was/is much lower in real French universities though. Typically it was around 10% turnout, give or take 2, when I was a student.

This brings back a memory : I once got elected at a replacement seat on the "studies and university life board" (Conseil des études et de la vie universitaire, CEVU, one of the several boards there are) for the Unef (the main left-wing half-wacko half-professionnal politician student union) whereas I had never been a member, just because the people of my political party had a spot to fill in law studies (typically right-wing) and nobody to fill it. They asked me, I said what the hell, got elected, never sat, but took a one year membership card, which I'm not too proud of but hey...

University elections have left and right wing political parties in France?