Marion Kimble
The spring election is just around the corner and the Associated Student Organization is excited about what some are calling an “incredibly contested” upcoming election.
With the release of the official list of students running for office yesterday, the ASO is gearing up for what it expects to be a busier campaigning season than last year, leading into elections somewhere between late March and early April.
While names and numbers were not available at press time, Adrian Garcia, ASO treasurer and co-chair of the election committee, said there is a considerably larger candidate base than last year.
“We have at least two people running for each office,” Garcia said. “I think the president ran uncontested last year.”
The positions of president, vice president, treasurer and board president are reseated during the spring semester, according to Sallay Manah, club council president.
Manah attributed the increase in candidates to extra publicity efforts on the part of the ASO last semester.
“ASO is more known on campus than previously,” said Manah. “More people seem to be getting involved.”
“Forums for debate are to be determined in the next ASO meeting, but are sure to be on a Tuesday, at least a week before the elections,” said Garcia.
Until the official debates begin, everyone can expect to see the candidates getting their faces and messages out to the student body.
“It’s more campaigning and selling yourself,” said Colin Chow, ASO director of committees.
Many of this semester’s candidates are returning senators from last year. Chow used Katt Soto, senator for the speech department and a contender for vice president, as an example.
“She was always a person who was very creative,” said Chow. “She wants to help out with the committees and wants to take a bigger part in ASO.”
Students interested in running for a committee position next semester, or running for the executive board next year, should speak with the ASO for full details on the application process.
“Anyone who wants to run for office should be eligible to be a senator, with at least a 2.0 [GPA] and needs to collect 75 signatures to be put on the ballot,” said Garcia.
