Without a majority vote, freshman class president candidates, Brooke McManus and Anthony Rice, will go head to head in a runoff election Friday.
The election results Wednesday showed Rice winning 18 percent of the vote and McManus 16 percent of the vote. Election rules require candidates to receive 50 percent of the vote to win, therefore a runoff will take place online at 7 p.m. Friday.
To shape the next election polls, candidates will be able to continue campaigning and must submit expense reports by 5 p.m. Friday.
Election commissioner Allison Krenzien said the candidates have to submit a new expense report that must contain any fines received for violations during campaigning. Krenzien said candidates have a $400 budget throughout the entire election process and dont get a new budget because of a runoff.
Rice, general studies major and member of the Corps of Cadets, said he wanted to make a lasting impact with the Class of 2016.
I really want to make the Class of 2016 standout and create ripples across campus that will echo for the next 100 years, Rice said.
McManus, international studies major, said she wanted to speak up for the Class of 2016 and serve them in any way possible.
In a position of leadership, you have to be a servant above all else, McManus said.
Krenzien said she was excited about the large voter turnout 3,865 total votes and student involvement in the election, especially the freshmen. Seventeen freshmen filed for candidacy for class president.
Normally theres two, three, six at most, Krenzien said. It was really exciting to see the freshmen really getting excited.
In addition to coming closer to determining the president of the Class of 2016, more than 20 Student Senate positions were filled by student votes. The results for winners ranged from write-in votes for University Apartments and General Studies to more than 200 votes for candidates in the Business caucus.
Jose Zelaya, graduate student and recently elected senate representative for education, said he was very happy with his chance to serve on the Student Senate.
We want to be able to serve the University and just really see how we can improve student government, Zelaya said.
The new task of electing student senators as well as the increased number of class president candidates has left the Student Election Commission with more paperwork.
It has been a lot more work than it usually is, Krenzien said. It has been a really great learning experience for me and for the candidates and student body.
Krenzien said part of this learning experience has been dealing with the potential for runoffs in the Student Senate, which is decided by the candidate with the highest number of votes.
This year we had two people with the same number of votes for a second seat in a caucus, Krenzien said. We are in the process of figuring out how we are going to handle that situation.
Recently elected student senators include: Megan Zhang, architecture; Hudson Hoyle and Foster Daly, business; Jose Luis Zelaya and Rich Pringle, education; Gustavo Garcia, engineering; Matt Green, Miles Kocurek and Alycia Ovalle, general studies; Thomas McNutt, liberal arts; Andrew Marlow, science; Sierra Mountain, veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences; Hannah Weger, Gus Blessing, Gracie Wood, Joseph Puente and Robbie Cimmino, off campus; and Aaron Mitchell and Patrick ONeal, freshmen senators. Senate-elect for University Apartments is pending eligibility.