UA election process kicks off

With the release of Candidate Information Packets, the student government election process has officially begun.

The Nominations and Elections Committee released the packets Monday for students interested in running for the Undergraduate Assembly, Class Boards, UA president and UA vice president.

The release of the packets — which include all of the information and guidelines that candidates need in order to run ­— signifies the “official starting point of the campaigning season,” according to College senior and NEC Chairwoman Rachel Levick.

Students have until March 15 to submit their packets and officially declare their candidacies, she added.

Thus far, College junior and UA Vice Chair for External Affairs Matt Amalfitano has announced that he is running for president.

Wharton sophomore Faye Cheng, College junior Mark Pan and Engineering sophomore Emily Shaeffer have announced they are running for vice president.

Though candidates may not launch monetary campaigns until March 17, Levick added, they can now approach students to gain the signatures they need to officially run for office.

This window of time, College junior and UA Chairman Alec Webley stressed, gives potential candidates the opportunity to reflect on this year’s UA and decide whether they want to be involved in the body next year.

“It’s normally a really fun time,” he said, “because everyone is excited, engaged and focused on the future.”

Due to the referendum passed last fall, potential UA general body members are not the only ones beginning to think about their campus-wide campaigns.

The newly created positions of UA president and UA vice president will be directly elected, as well, and must go through a similar election process as other UA candidates.

To steer campaigning tactics away from “catchy slogans” and “knocking on doors,” Webley said, College senior and Chairwoman of the Presidential Debate Committee Natalie Vernon has led an effort to “make the elections substantive.”

Measures such as an Executive Information Session, a policy debate and a mandatory platform submission for all candidates aim to ensure that candidates’ “personalities will be less important than what they’re trying to do,” Vernon said.

All presidential and vice-presidential candidates must also obtain signatures from five sitting UA members ­— in addition to five percent of the student body — to demonstrate that they understand how the UA functions, Levick explained.

“I’m glad there haven’t been many public declarations” so far, Webley said, stressing that candidates should think carefully about the positions before launching their campaigns.

Candidates can use this time to “sit and reflect, particularly for president and vice president, to get a good grip on what their vision is,” Webley said. As a result, people who have made up their minds can start “focusing on their platforms.”

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