There are three parties running this year: the Grow Party, Team Unite and the Vision Party. Each party has one president, vice president and senior president, as well as one assembly representative running for each opening and one senator for each college. Only two attorney general candidates will be running this year.
This is the first time in six years that the ASUU elections will include both a primary and general election. ASUU elections registrar Taylor Thompson said the primaries will narrow the positions that have three candidates down to two for the general elections, which will be held March 3-6.
“The thing that I’m worried might throw some people is that everyone has to vote twice,” Thompson said. “I hope it doesn’t confuse folks.”
The results of the primary will be available Feb. 14. Then there will be a week off from campaigning for what Thompson called “party shuffle week.” This is when candidates are able to join a different party if their president and vice president lost in the primary or decide to run as an independent.
After the primary elections and “party shuffle week” are over, campaigning begins for the general elections. Thompson said last year they had a high percentage of students vote in the general elections, but she hopes they can get even more participation this year.
Current Attorney General Molly Wheeler said she hopes to get a referendum to the U’s constitution available for students to vote on during the general elections. The referendum would clear up confusing language in the constitution and has to pass through ASUU’s legislative branch, receive the president’s signature, and be approved by the Board of Trustees before final student approval.
Wheeler also said that although filing to run for the positions might be closed, she hopes students will get involved in other ways, such as voting or volunteering with the different parties.
“Students should get involved because their elected student government leaders represent them in a lot of important arenas,” Wheeler said. “They are the ones who meet with President Pershing, legislators and groups on campus to make the U experience what it is. Students need to make sure that they are voting for individuals who will represent them well.”
Two sets of debates will be held during the campaigning portion of the election season. Presidential and vice presidential debates will be held Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Heritage Center, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. in the Union and March 4 at 12 p.m. in the Hinckley Institute of Politics.
Two senior president debates will also be held on Feb. 12 at 12 p.m. in the Union’s Collegiate Room and again on March 3 in the Union lobby.
Since there are only two attorney general candidates, there will be no primary voting for that position, and their sole debate will be on March 3 at 12 p.m. in the Union lobby.