The Student Government Association elections will take place over a two-day span this spring, as opposed to the previous method of having one day of voting.
SGA made the decision not only to increase student involvement, but also to accommodate candidates by relieving the pressure of a single-day election.
“Getting more votes is always a concern, but it’s only fair to the candidates if we try to reach as many people as possible,” said Vincent Bond, SGA’s election committee chair and vice president of student concerns. “They’re putting in a lot of time. When you only have eight hours, the stress blows them out of the water.”
Bond, along with the SGA election committee, ensures that the election runs smoothly and the voting process is both easy and convenient for Quinnipiac students. Because many students have busy schedules, the extra day leaves more room for flexibility.
“I think that having two days of elections is beneficial to the student body,” junior Lindsay Srour said. “I know that personally, sometimes I am very busy and things slip my mind. By having the second day of people reminding me to vote, I could easily make time to do so.”
Along with allowing more time for students to vote, SGA has also worked with the Office of Residential Life to ensure that all policies and rules are followed. Candidates will no longer be able to enter the dorms during quiet hours to solicit votes.
The majority of their campaigning will be done during the day, when posters will surround the campus and the candidates will get the chance to introduce themselves to the students.
“As a transfer student, I definitely find it helpful that the Quinnipiac community is doing more promotion on the elections and how to vote,” sophomore JP Orlando said. “I would love to learn more about the process so I can participate and vote in the future.”
In the past, online voting for SGA elections was a multiple step process, making it more difficult for votes to be tallied. However, students will now be able to vote using Collegiatelink, a system accessible through Blackboard.
Collegiatelink was first used in the fall elections, which Bond said was the best the turnout to date.
According to Bond, “2,200 votes is the record, but I’m hoping for 3,000 to 4,000 this time.”
Students will be able to vote online through Collegiatelink, as well as several voting stations set up around campus. Elections begin Tuesday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m., and end on Wednesday, April 4 at 8 p.m.
