SGA prepares for elections, voter drive

September 10, 2008
By Pete Nickeas
Public Affairs Reporter

Amidst beginning-of-thesemester house-cleaning, the Student Government Association (SGA) decided on a time line for the fall election to fill six open senator positions.

The six open positions are: two at-large, and one each to represent the Capitol Scholars Program, the College of Education and Human Service, transfer students, and graduate students.

Candidates were required to submit applications before Friday, Sept. 5 and began campaigning Tuesday, Sept. 9. A candidate forum is also being planned, where candidates will answer questions and deliver speeches aimed at enticing potential voters.

Elections will take place online Sept. 17 and 18.. Students, following a link that will appear at the UIS homepage, will be able to sign in with their UIN and vote for each position. Provided there are now complaints to the elections board, results will be released via email on Sept. 19.

“The newly elected senators will be formally installed at the Sept. 28 meeting,” said Ashley Rook, SGA President, “and the entire SGA will be inaugurated on the soccer field at halftime of the Homecoming soccer game, as is our tradition.”

Not yet finalized is a planned voter registration drive, bringing together College Republicans, College Democrats, and Campus Greens “to promote civic engagement among UIS students as well as educate students on why they should vote,” according to Rook.

“We are still planning the events,” she said. “But we have considered hosting debates between local candidates on campus, showing a film on voter fraud or having a “Rock the Vote” party/registration drive, among other things.”

Rook said the matter likely won’t be discussed at the Sept. 14 meeting.

“The SGA will most likely continue to plan and discuss voter registration but it will be in planning meetings,” she said. “Figuring out the logistics at a televised meeting wouldn’t be appropriate.”