As the Student Government Association nomination convention draws near, both SGA President Frank Hood and Elections Chair Marco Pretell-Vazquez confirmed at least one slate will officially announce intentions to run Feb. 16.
"I know there have been discussions of at least one slate forming, but who they are, where they come from I can't really say," Hood said after Wednesday's SGA meeting. "I've heard of one slate for sure that has formed, and there might be 10 more out there that I don't know about."
Pretell-Vazquez would not confirm the formation of the slate despite alluding to one during his report, but he said he was confident the convention will have at least one nomination.
The anonymous slate would prevent a repeat of last year's nomination convention in which no candidates came forward. As a result, a second convention took place 10 days later when Campus Alliance announced its intentions. Hood said he hopes to avoid having a one-slate ticket, which he felt would ultimately deter students from engaging in the election process.
"I would really like there to be more than one slate because I think it brings a slight excitement and amount of competition," Hood said. "It's good to get the students continually involved with improving campus, picking their future leaders and having their voices heard - you really lose a lot of that if you only have one slate."
Although everyone is encouraged to apply, Hood said the winning slate usually featured someone with prior SGA experience. He said he wouldn't have been able to handle the workload without previous experience.
In order to gain campuswide attention, Pretell-Vazquez said his elections committee has current, former and non-SGA members. The committee came forward Wednesday for formal Senate approval.
Elections Board Treasurer Donna Grau has no SGA experience, but she and Pretell-Vazquez said they're confident the board will have a broader outreach.
"I feel like I have an outsider's perspective," Grau said, "and I'll be able to just jump in there and do what I can. Plus, I'll have a lot of people to back me up."
Also on the committee are Sheriffs Nicole Eley and Ashley Ford, the same as last election. Travis Schilla, Dave Studinski and former SGA Senator Mallory Winkler will also represent the board.
Pretell-Vazquez met with the elections committee and plans to meet again to discuss the best ways to promote the election and ensure a smooth process.
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