"None of them were competitive races, which is the first reason you're going to have low turnout," said council Vice President Samuel C. Cohen '00. "There's no incentive to go out, talk it up, tell people why you're running."

Others blamed the low turnout on factors specific to the Houses, noting Dudley's status as a graduate student and off-campus undergraduate House.

"In the last three years, Dudley has always had a hard time having candidates run and getting people to vote," Cohen said. "It's basically a House in name only. "It's very hard to communicate with people in Dudley."

Winthrop residents have a different reason not to vote for additional representatives, Kim said.

"One reason for the low turnout may be that most people here simply didn't hear about it, and also we feel pretty represented with our very own Beth Stewart at the helm, and we know she's a very good council president," Kim said.

New council representatives voiced concerns that the low voter turnout would spin into a vicious cycle.

"As unfortunate as this situation has been, my fear is that it will irrationally increase apathy and cynicism in the student body," said Adams House representative Eric M. Nelson '99, who is a Crimson editor.

Others questioned the council's legitimacy outright.

"The [Undergraduate Council] is only as strong as students behind it, and the council can only really represent the students who take part in elections," said John R. Lavy '01, a new representative from Winthrop. "Maybe the council just doesn't have the authority and influence that it thought it had."