USF SG midterm campaigning delayed due to Helene, Milton
Abigail Stephens, a senior health sciences major, said it is important to vote in Student Government (SG) elections.
“It gives you a voice to shape the election through who you vote for,” Stephens said. “It is very self-rewarding to vote, and you can partly control the outcome of the election.”
The timeline for the 2024 midterm elections was adjusted by SG Election Rules Commission and SG Advising after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
While campaigning was originally set for early October, the adjustment will give candidates two weeks to connect with the student body and win their votes, according to Jennifer Bielen, the associate director of SG Advising.
Related: USF students critique ‘early’ return to class after Milton – The Oracle
Campaigning kicked off Monday and will run through Nov. 6.
Voting will take place on Nov. 5-6 and students can vote in person or online through BullsConnect and the SG website.
Related: USF Student Government uncertified 2024 election results – The Oracle
There are 18 students running for the Tampa Campus Council and 20 for the Senate.
One person is running for the Sarasota-Manatee Campus Council, and five are running for the St. Pete Campus Council.
The Tampa Campus Council has a total of four seats open and a total of three Senate seats.
The Sarasota-Manatee Campus Council candidate is running uncontested and St. Pete has five candidates and an equal number of open seats, so all will automatically win the position. No Senate seats are open.
Students can find candidate names and biographies on the SG website.
Related: SG midterm election results announced, voter turnout decreases – The Oracle
Stephens said many students do not know they can vote online, and it would be helpful if that were advertised.
“I feel that others, myself included, would remember to vote if it were more spoken about or included in more announcements from the campus and teachers,” she said.
Stephens also said voting online is a more convenient option, and she wished she had done that when she voted last year.
“Going in person may not always align with my schedule,” she said.
Related: Low voter turnout for SG elections mirror national trends – The Oracle
Gennavie Heffernan, a senior finance major, said she didn’t have plans to vote, mainly because she didn’t know how to.
“I have never voted in a SG election, I would not know where to go to do so,” Heffernan said. “If I knew more about it all, then maybe that would change my voting habits.”
For those who prefer to vote in person, stations will be set up at the Tampa campus in the Marshall Student Center and Cooper Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days.
Bielin did not clarify where the St. Pete and Sarasota-Manatee Campus polling locations will be.
Heffernan said if she were to vote, she would prefer to do so in person because she feels more confident about where her vote is going.
Stephens said participating in SG elections helps her feel more connected with her school community.
“I do feel that my voice has been heard, and I think it will continue to be heard,” she said. “I think that it is so awesome I am able to have a real input on the future of USF SG.”
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