Last week, campaign posters and flyers covered the stairwells of the CNSB and Walker Hall. Candidates passed out candy, attempting to attract supporters. Yet, every candidate must abide by a specific set of rules created by SGA.
The SGA Election Commission oversees the elections for Homecoming Court, Mardi Gras Court and SGA senators. The commission revises its code of conduct every semester, keeping the system of guidelines and rules up to date.
The goal of SGA Election Commission is to conduct fair and accurate elections. The strict guidelines of the code ensure that commissioners cannot throw their support behind a candidate. Members should have no bias when counting votes or reviewing policy violations.
“During the elections, our election commission is strictly prohibited from endorsing candidates or participating in election campaigning,” SGA president David Hernandez said. “The commission is required to adhere strictly to the election code to ensure a fair election.”
SGA members can compete in elections and endorse candidates as long as they “do not serve on the Commission for the duration of that election,” according to the code. For example, SGA president David Hernandez and chief election commissioner Estrella Hernandez campaigned to be Mardi Gras Court royalty, so they could not serve on election commission.
After announcing her candidacy, Hernandez stepped down as chief election commissioner. She will resume her position once Mardi Gras Court elections have ended.
Since David Hernandez never served on the Election Commission, he was free to run for Mardi Gras King.
SGA faced backlash on social media over the election results for Homecoming Court and Mardi Gras Court. However, students unhappy with the results can file an appeal with the Election Commission.
Many election appeals stem from violations committed during the campaigning process. Campaign flyers must be a specific size, contain SGA election information and cannot be placed in classrooms.
Candidates cannot campaign near polling stations or help students log in to online voting.
“We keep our elections fair and accountable by allowing all candidates the right to appeal election results if they desire to,” David Hernandez said.
SGA’s next round of elections will likely begin in March. Interested students can run for a position as an SGA senator or executive officer.
