UF’s three Student Government parties — Vision, Change and Watch Parties — have set forth their Fall 2024 policies. Now, students must decide if and for whom to vote Oct. 8 and 9. This guide explains how to vote, where to do it and what the parties’ platforms entail.
How to vote
Voter qualification is simple: Every UF student with a valid UF ID can vote, including UF Online students. IDs can be in the form of a physical or an electronic card.
In order to cast a ballot, students must go to a polling location and present their student ID. After that, they will log on to UF’s voting platform at the polling station and cast their ballots, which will appear different depending on a student’s living location (e.g. Infinity Hall, Honors Village, off-campus, etc).
During Fall elections, students select 50 new Student Senators, who represent the areas in which they live.
A student doesn’t need to vote at a polling location in their own district. For instance, an off-campus voter is free to vote at the Reitz Union polling location.
Where to vote
The Fall 2024 SG elections will be held at eight polling locations:
- The Reitz Student Union - 686 Museum Road
- Norman Library - 618 SW 12th St.
- Broward Hall - 680 Broward Drive
- Southwest Recreation Center - 3150 Hull Road
- Keys Complex - 2191 Stadium Road
- Heavener Hall - 1325 West University Ave.
- Corry Village - 278 Corry Village
- Health Science Center Library - 1249 Center Drive
Vision Party platform
Vision Party, whose candidates currently hold a majority in the SG Senate, released a platform based on categories of academics, dorm life, DEI, wellness, service, sustainability and student ideas.
The party hopes to install a color printer in the Reitz Student Union’s printing lab; put ice machines in dorms; establish a forum for cultural organization leaders; create a mental health day on campus; organize nature trail cleanups; and extend bike lanes farther out from the center of campus.
Vision canvassers suggested questions about the campaign should be directed to Vision Party president Gabriel Vargas. He did not respond to requests for comment.
Change Party platform
Change Party, whose senators make up the second-largest Senate faction, centered its platform around student quality of life, health, wellness and safety, sustainability, transportation, DEI, graduate affairs and SG reform.
Notable goals include providing all students with $100 for utility bill relief; expanding contraceptive options at Student Health Care Center; planting pollinator plants on campus to increase biodiversity; supporting RTS funding; supporting the formation of a dining-hall workers’ labor union; providing graduate student-tailored SG events; and auditing SG Productions and ACCENT.
Change Outreach Director Zoe Richter, 21, said students should make a plan to vote.
“That usually encourages people. If you make a plan, then you actually go do it,” she said.
When asked why students should vote for Change, Sen. Isha Khan (Change-Honors Village) said, “Change Party is the party that’s actually doing the actions behind what they’re saying.”
Watch Party platform
Watch Party, a new political party announced this election cycle, based its platform around fair elections via access, opportunity and representation.
Watch’s goal is for each UF satellite campus to have at least one polling location. It also advocates all parties and independent candidates be provided $250 so as to avoid wealth-based election advantages.
The party seeks to establish ranked choice voting, in which voters rank their preferred candidates. If their first-choice candidate loses, their vote will go to their second choice and so on until a candidate has a majority of the votes.
Watch Party chief of staff and co-founder Dominic Acosta Santoni said students should educate themselves in preparation for elections.
“I think you should read the Vision Party platform, I think you should read the Change Party platform, I think you should read the Watch Party platform,” Acosta Santoni said.
He encouraged voters to dive into the history of SG for context. He called Watch “the party of accountability.”
Speaking on why students should vote Watch, he said, “I don’t think anything else really matters until fair elections are fully intact and until everyone has representation again.”
Elections will run from Oct. 8 to Oct. 9, and results will be announced around 9:30 p.m. Oct. 9.
Contact Avery Parker at aparker@alligator.org. Follow him on X @AveryParke98398.
Avery Parker is a third-year English and History major covering university affairs for The Alligator. Outside of reporting, Avery spends his time doting on his cats, reading, and listening to music by the Manwolves.
