The Fall 2017 Student Body Elections will begin Thursday at 8 a.m. Elections are held every semester and are overseen by the Election Commission arm of the Student Government Association (SGA). The current election commissioner is chemical engineering sophomore Paige Rigsby.
Voting in student body elections is one of the best ways to ensure that your voice is heard on campus, and the opportunity to effect important change in our community shouldn’t be ignored, Rigsby said.
“Voting is important in order to elect the proper people to represent you in student government,” Rigsby said. “Both the Student Government Association and Class Councils create change on campus, and voting gives you the opportunity to elect people whose goals reflect your own.”
This semester, dozens of candidates are vying for several positions within the SGA, including open seats in senate caucuses in the College of Education and the Dwight Look College of Engineering, as well as both open seats for Freshman Senator.
Senators fall under the Legislative Branch of the SGA and, according to Rigsby, are responsible for representing student interests by “proposing legislation and advocating for student needs.”
The election for Freshman Class President, which falls under the Class Councils organization, is also taking place tomorrow. Class Councils is responsible for maintaining various traditions on campus.
There are currently 32 candidates for Freshman Class President, 21 candidates for Freshman Senate, 6 senate candidates in the College of Engineering, and 1 senate candidate in the College of Education.
Eligible candidate are able to run under the 2017-2018 Election Regulations, subject to interpretation by the Election Commissioner, Rigsby, and review by the Student Government Judicial Court, according to the election regulations.
According to Rigsby, all currently enrolled Texas A&M students with valid University ID numbers are eligible to vote. Students are allowed to vote for any positions within their own class or college.
Voting opens Thursday at 8:00 a.m. and closes Friday, September 29, at 12:00 p.m. Voting is available online at www.vote.tamu.edu. Election results will be announced at 7 p.m. or later on Friday, September 29.