It’s been politics as usual for Ohio University Student Senate this year, except this time, the typically private election planning has been thrust into the public eye.
Among senate members, an executive ticket has formed for a party called “ONE for OU,” a group recently registered with the Campus Involvement Center as an official student organization.
Listed with a mission “to serve the students of Ohio University through student government” on the student organization webpage on the Ohio University website, ONE for OU was confirmed to be an electoral ticket for senate by the organization’s vice president, Alex George, current senate commissioner of University Life.
Jordan Ballinger, senate governmental affairs commissioner, is listed as president and Carter Phillips, commissioner of the Senate Appropriations Commission, as treasurer.
Ballinger, George and Phillips’ positions in ONE also indicate what senate positions they will run for in the spring — president, vice president and treasurer, respectively.
In past years, tickets have not been announced until the first day of campaign season.
The 2013-14 academic year campaign season has not been set yet as the Senate Board of Elections is still being formed.
As a student organization, ONE will be able to book rooms in Baker University Center — a major reason behind the early registration of senate tickets, said Ballinger, who has worked on past senate campaigns, but did not comment on ONE specifically.
“The reason why tickets generally plan so early is because … it takes a lot of work to gather support and gain members,” Ballinger said.
The process is one which current Senate President Nick Southall is all too familiar.
“Last year, we had our student organization set up in Fall (Semester) so that we could have meetings and organize for the coming (semester),” he said. “It’s something that happens every year.”
Ballinger said he sees organizing early as essential to running to more than just a successful campaign.
“If you have an effective campaign, you will have an effective body,” he said.
According to Board of Elections rules, ONE’s members cannot begin campaigning for votes until 24 days before the formal election, which is typically held late in Spring Semester.
As a result, the ticket will not be publicly active for a while, George said.
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