The spring election cycle is underway as filing for candidacy opened Friday morning. Student Government positions are up for grabs, including student body president and vice president, Student Senate president, student body treasurer and student body chief justice.
Filing for candidacy will close Feb. 12 followed by All Candidates Meetings which will be held Feb. 14 and 15. Campaigning will commence Feb. 16.
Board of Elections chair Anna Kate Whitfield, a fourth-year studying political science, is looking to increase voter turnout for the upcoming election, having been encouraged by a steady increase in the last few cycles.
“Things will pretty much be the same as they have been in the past,” Whitfield said. “They’ll see candidates on campus campaigning, they’ll hear a lot from us about how to go about voting, like where to find the voting link. We’re trying to let as many students know about how to vote and how to get to know their candidates as possible.”
Whitfield discussed how student fees should encourage students to stay informed and participate. For each regular term, students pay $15.50 to Student Government, adding up to $31 a year per student.
“Each student through their student fees pays Student Government,” Whitfield said. “And Student Government gets to spend that money on programs for them or initiatives around campus. You get to choose who gets to spend that money for you.”
Lee Daniel, a second-year studying microbiology, is a newly appointed Board of Elections commissioner who echoed how students can make a difference with their votes.
“Student Government has the ability to shape where the money that everyone is paying goes,” Daniel said. “So it’s really important to — especially if you’re heavily invested in some of those resources and offices on campus — to be able to participate in the elections to elect someone who has that same interest and recognizes the importance of and the validity of that office.”
The first draft of the ballot will be published online Feb. 19, and the final ballot will be online on Feb. 21.
Students will be able to vote from 8 p.m. on Feb. 26 until 8 p.m. on Feb. 27 using electronic or paper provisional ballots. Polling locations will also be set up in the Brickyard and near Talley.
Additional open positions include the Union Activities Board president, Inter Residence Council president, Student Centers Board of Directors president, and seats within the Student Senate.
Justin Lindemann, a third-year studying environmental sciences and political science, serves as secretary for the Board of Elections. Lindemann commented on why students should be engaged in the election cycle.
“I think it’s good practice for national election or state-wide election because I know with people our age, we don’t generally vote as much on important issues that we care about,” Lindemann said. “We talk about it, but we don’t really do much about it voting-wise.”
If no candidate receives 40 percent of the vote in a single seat position, a runoff election will be held all day on March 1. In the case of a multi-seat position, a one-percent or less margin must separate the last winning candidate and the next largest for a runoff to be called.
A full list of open candidate positions and the intent to run form can be found on the Board of Elections website.
The Election Handbook can be found here for more information about rules and regulations.
