After a record low turnout Sunday for students interested in running for a UF Student Senate seat, Monday drew enough applicants to fill the Fall 2014 Student Government elections ballot.
The second day of qualifying in the Reitz Union Ballroom drew 61 students, a result consistent with past qualifying rounds, said UF Supervisor of Elections Hans Rojas.
A total of 72 students have qualified since Sunday.
“Historically, day three has the highest turnout of candidates,” Rojas said.
In previous election cycles, qualifying and slating began Monday and ran through Wednesday. UF election codes now specify that qualifying must be completed by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Because of GatorNights on Friday and the football game on Saturday, Rojas said the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom was only available on Sunday.
All but one of Monday’s 61 students slated — or chose to run with a registered political party — with Swamp Party. Students who have not slated have until the end of a mandatory meeting at the Reitz Union Auditorium at 9 p.m. Wednesday to slate with a party or file a form to run as an independent candidate.
“I think we weren’t extremely surprised about there being a low turnout,” Swamp Party spokeswoman Katie Backstrand said about Sunday’s qualifying round. “So today was definitely more of what we were expecting with how many people showed up.”
Qualifying ends at 5 p.m. today.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/9/2014 under the headline "Election slating continues"]
