Ohio University will have two options Wednesday for Student Senate’s vice president instead of the original seven who entered their names in the race.
Tyler Daniels, a senator at-large on the university life commission and a senior studying political science, global studies, and war and peace studies, is running against Mary Kate Gallagher, a senior studying community health and family development and a former residence life commissioner who stepped down from senate in September.
Students will be able to vote electronically Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., just before the senate meeting is called to order at 7:15 p.m., Jenny Hall-Jones, dean of students, said.
Elections are also open 11 hours during senate’s regular spring elections, said Emma Clark, this election’s supervisor.
Students will receive an email Wednesday morning with a link to the site to vote for a candidate, Hall-Jones, said.
Clark, along with Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs and senate’s advisor, put some special rules into place for the election, Clark said.
Candidates and supporters couldn’t spend money on campaigning materials or negatively campaign. They also had to follow the Student Code of Conduct, Clark said.
“It was just more focused on getting out there, spreading the word that you’re running and getting students to vote,” Clark said.
Candidates were able to use social media to help campaign.
Students had to have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and be in good academic and judicial standing with the university, Clark said.
Many candidates either disqualified or excused themselves from the race — Allie Erwin and Jacob Chaffin dropped out of the race at the Jan. 22 senate meeting; Adam Brown was elected to treasurer after Austin LaForest resigned at the Jan. 22 meeting.
Two other candidates, Noah Hajivandi and Clay Hribar, were disqualified after not meeting the candidacy requirements according to senate’s rules and procedures, Clark said.
Senate President Anna Morton said she hopes the new vice president will bring in consistency to the body as well as new ideas.
“I think they are both wonderful candidates,” Morton said. “I’m in a really good spot having both of them up for it.”
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