By Emily Wunderlich
Eleven students will seek your vote for Student Government senate today and tomorrow.
In addition to the nine candidates reported in the Oct. 21 issue of The Crow’s Nest, two more were added to the ballot, even though applications were due Friday, Oct. 11.
Maria Starr, supervisor of elections, did not respond to questions asking why applications were accepted after the deadline.
But Bob Herron, who as Student Life and Engagement program coordinator advises Student Government, said Starr made the decision “to provide more choice to the student body.”
“The supervisor of elections decided to accept two late applications after two students made the request,” Herron said. “With the nine applications, the election would not have been contested with 10 at-large seats available.”
Herron said Starr consulted with SG’s chief legal officer to ensure the decision complied with SG statutes and election code.
To qualify, the candidates were required to be enrolled in at least six credit hours, have a 2.5 GPA and undergo a conduct check by the department of Student Life and Engagement.
The new candidates are Connor Baird, a political science major, and Amy Campbell-Oates, a sustainability studies major.
Baird comes from a family of USF St. Petersburg alumni; both of his parents graduated from the campus, and his mother was part of the first graduating class. His sister will graduate this year.
“I’ve seen the progress the region and the USF St. Petersburg campus have made over the last few years, and I want to continue that progress,” Baird wrote in his application. “That’s why I’m running for the USF St. Petersburg senate.”
In her application, Campbell-Oates said she is “very passionate about keeping our campus green and adopting new sustainability efforts.” If elected, she hopes to extend the operating hours of both the library and The Reef on weekends.
Students can vote online through the Student Government’s PeteSync page. The ballot will also include an optional straw poll conducted by the Center for Civic Engagement, where students can indicate their preferred presidential candidate in the March 17 Florida primary.
Results will be announced Tuesday, Oct. 29. Last year, only 256 students voted in SG midterm elections.
To learn more about the other SG senatorial candidates, read our Oct. 21 coverage online at https://crowsneststpete.com/2019/10/21/midterm-elections-meet-the-sg-senate-candidates/
