The UA student body passed the Student Government Association’s rewritten constitution 92.28 percent to 7.72 percent in a referendum vote Tuesday. The vote capped months of work and compromise by members of the SGA Constitutional Revision Committee. 2,300 students voted in the special election.

“We’re very pleased with the results of today’s referendum,” SGA President James Fowler said in an e-mailed statement after voting closed.  “Today, we enter a new era of student government, and our highest ideals will guide the way. I’m confident in that fact.”

The vote’s turnout represented around 7.6 percent of enrolled students. By comparison, more than 7,900 students voted in last spring’s SGA elections, representing more than 27 percent of the enrolled student body.

“At any level of government, it’s often hard to raise awareness for a special election, but the vote today shows that students care about their SGA’s governing documents and care about renewing student self-government for generations to come.” Fowler said.

According to SGA Attorney General Ryan Sprinkle, the changes brought in by the new constitution will start to have an immediate effect on campus.

“Today, students overwhelmingly chose a new path for student government,” he said in an e-mailed statement. “Immediately, this campus will see new guidelines governing the spring SGA elections and 2011-12 judicial board and First Year Council selections.”

Ian Sams, SGA communications director, said he believes students can expect to see a better SGA.

“It’s exciting that the students overwhelmingly asked to change the constitution today,” Sams, said. “I think what we’re going to see is a much more efficient and effective SGA in the future because of the stronger separation of powers and the ways we’ve empowered the students to take part in each branch of government.”

Sams said the constitution provides more opportunities to all students from all groups on campus to be involved and to lead.

“It allows any student with the desire to have a voice to step up and take a position of prominence and power in the SGA,” Sams said.

This particular aspect of the new constitution could be put to the test as soon as April, with the upcoming SGA elections.

“New officers will emerge in April, and a new government will take effect,” Sprinkle said. “Students have shown that they’re eager to strengthen their voice on campus. Ratifying this constitution codifies transparency and inclusivity and creates a more functional and accountable student government.”

David Wilson, an SGA senator who sat on the Constitutional Review Committee, said the new constitution will affect the elections.

“There is going to be a change to the rules,” he said. “For example, the executive vice president is very different. That aspect, the people who were interested in the past might not be interested and want to run for it now since it is so different. Same thing with running for senate.”.

As a senator, Wilson said he was excited about the changes to his branch of the SGA government.

“I think that is going to have great, incredible implications for the legislative branch,” Wilson said. “I think it will have even more positive things that we have foreseen. I’m ecstatic that this has passed tonight.”

Students had mixed opinions about the new SGA constitution.

“I think it’s long overdue,” said Asher Elbein, a freshman in New College. “It should set the University on less of a special-interest path and more of a reform-oriented path.”

Nicholas Janzen, a junior majoring in political science, said he is not surprised the new constitution passed.

“I don’t think it’s going to do anything different,” Janzen said. “Independents don’t care about the SGA. Greeks do,” he said. “The SGA is so heavily majority greek that they can be governed by any rules they want but if the student body isn’t involved; it doesn’t matter what rules they have.”

For Fowler, though, the constitution represents a signature accomplishment for his term as president.

“This is a prime achievement not only for the SGA, but also for our campus as a whole,” he said.

William Evans and Katherine Martin contributed to this report.