Photo courtesy of Xavier University
As the Student Government Association (SGA) election season kicks off with the announcement of the Executive tickets, candidates in this year’s Executive and Senate races will notice a few changes in the Elections Code. Most notably, votes for write-in candidates will no longer be accepted in either race.
Write-in Candidates
In the past, write-ins have had the most success in Senate elections when fewer candidates completed the requirements to officially run than there were available seats. Last year, for example, more than half of the senators elected were write-in candidates.
Now, if an insufficient number of candidates run for Senate, an application process to fill any empty seats after the election will take place in which applicants are evaluated and chosen by the current executives as outlined in the vacancy policies in the SGA constitution.
“The thought of the BoE, and then Senate, is that by not allowing write-ins, and filling vacancies in accordance with the SGA constitution, at the very least, the executives will take the time to put out applications, interview people and ensure that they are qualified and genuinely interested in the position,” Board of Elections (BoE) Chair Talor Crawford said.
Executive Campaign Grant
An “Executive Campaign Grant” was an addition to the Elections Code that aims to level the playing field among Executive tickets economically. According to the BoE, individual members of Executive tickets who meet the requirements and demonstrate financial need will be able to apply for the grant to supplement some of the costs of running a campaign.
Individual members who are eligible can receive up to $200 from the grant. Multiple members of each ticket are allowed to apply, so if all three members are eligible and are approved to receive the maximum amount, a total of $600 could be given to that ticket.
Credit Hour Requirement
Previously in the election code, candidates were only required to have attended Xavier for one semester by the time they would take office in January. This part of the code now requires that the candidate have “completed at least 24 credit hours at Xavier by the time the election process begins,” ruling first-years and first-year transfer students out of the running for the Executive elections.
BoE Senate Event
Campaigning for the Senate election will now require candidates to attend a BoE-sponsored event in addition to the normal canvassing and outdoor campaigning. This event is new and creates an opportunity for students to meet the Senate candidates when they are in a room all at the same time.
By: Jessica Griggs ~Editor-in-Chief~