Today marks the first day of voting for Student Government elections.
Students will be able to cast their votes today and Wednesday at any of the 12 polling locations on campus. Each of them will open at 8:30 a.m.
All locations but the CSE main room will remain open until 8:30 p.m. That location will close at 5 because of scheduling conflicts, said Supervisor of Elections Justin Hoover. Voters who get there after 5 p.m. will be redirected to Marston Library.
In addition to the candidates, two referendum questions and one constitutional amendment will be on the ballot.
One of the questions asks students if they support implementing an open-container policy allowing those of legal drinking age to carry an open container of alcohol on campus during home football games. The second question asks if students support a 50-cent-per-credit-hour fee that would be used to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on campus.
Referendums gauge student opinion and do not directly impact administration or SG policies.
Swamp Party Student Body executive candidates expressed their support for the open-container referendum, and spokeswoman Susan Webster said the party is in favor of the green referendum question but thinks students should have the final say.
“We do believe that because it would increase the cost of education for students at the University of Florida, students should have the ultimate decision,” she said.
Students Party spokesman Alex Klayman said his party supports the open-container referendum question but does not back the 50-cent-per-credit-hour referendum for a green energy fee.
“The party supports the answer ‘NO’ on the 50-cent per credit-hour fee,” he wrote in an email. “Though the referendum is non-binding, there is no reason we should be raising fees for a Green Energy Fee when we aren’t even taking all the steps we could be without raising fees.”
In addition to the referendum questions, the ballot will include a potential amendment asking if the SG anti-discrimination policy should be updated to include genetic information.
“By including genetic information in the nondiscriminatory clause, we are ensuring that the student organizations and Student Government have uniform requirements,” Webster said.
Klayman also said his party is in favor of the amendment.
“Updating our constitution to better follow anti-discrimination laws is a no-brainer, and making everyone feel welcome/accepted at UF is a positive for every student,” he wrote.
Micaela Montero Dokser, Taco Libre Party candidate for Student Body treasurer, said the party will side with students on all three issues, as its main focus is to try to get Taco Bell back.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/18/2014 under the headline "UF Student Government elections start today"]
