Both tickets have made their case to campus. Now, it is up to the voters to decide who will represent student opinion in Cutler Hall and in Athens.
Beginning Thursday at 8 a.m. students can cast their votes for either F.U.S.S. or VOICE.
Nick Southall, Anna Morton and Austin LaForest — running for president, vice-president and treasurer on the VOICE ticket, respectively — are competing with Matt Farmer, Jacob Chaffin and Rebekah Rittenberg — running for president, vice president and treasurer on the F.U.S.S. ticket, respectively — at the polls.
VOICE is the only ticket with someone running for every position. F.U.S.S. is an executive-only ticket.
Students will be able to vote online at at https://webapps.ohio.edu/stusenate or on the fourth floor of Baker University Center until 7 p.m.
Board of Elections Chair Emma Clark said she hopes for a close race.
“I know both parties have worked very hard and we have some independent candidates in there,” Clark said. “I’m really looking for a close election or a good representation from a lot of students.”
Clark said a link to the site students can vote at would be sent out via email on Thursday morning.
Undergraduate students will only be able to vote for Student Senate candidates, while graduate students will be able to vote for both Student Senate and Graduate Student Senate candidates.
Students vote by candidate, not by party, Clark said, allowing them to pick and choose.
“I’m excited to hear who the students want to represent them next year,” Southall said. “I’m proud of the people we picked and I’m proud of what we stood for. I think that we stand strong on tuition issues, but we have a lot more to offer.”
VOICE’s platform centers on advocating for the student voice by asking the administration for a stronger student role on advisory committees and boards. The ticket also will focus on increasing student diversity and ensuring sustainable growth as OU moves forward with its housing plan.
F.U.S.S. aims to promote many of the same initiatives as VOICE while organizing students so they can bring about change they want to see at OU.
Southall’s opponent believes his party has made a “fuss” about the topics, like tuition and college affordability, which his ticket set out to.
“I feel confident going into tomorrow. I think we have a chance at winning this election,” Farmer said. “I hope there’s a high voter turnout. More students are informed now and that’s what we want.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
