UF students lined up at polling stations early Wednesday for the second and last day of Student Government elections. By the time polls close this evening, students will have decided which party will define campus policy.
Tuesday brought out 6,622 votes, according to Supervisor of Elections Lexi Sederopoulos — a number similar to the first day of last year’s Spring elections. Although first-day turnout this year was slightly lower, with a difference less than 2%.
Vision, Change and Watch Party spent the beginning of the Spring semester rolling out their plans to revive DEI programs on campus, reform elections and remedy food insecurity and affordable housing issues. Now, students have the chance to decide who will fill 50 seats in the student senate representing various colleges, in addition to executive positions like student body president.
Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at:
- Reitz Union Print Lab
- Norman Hall Education Library
- Health Science Center Library
- Heavener Hall
- Law School Library
- Southwest Recreation Center
- Keys Complex
- Cypress Hall
Candidates and other student government officials are expected to gather at the Reitz Union Wednesday evening in anticipation of election results, which could be announced as early as 9:30 p.m.
Live updates:
Reitz Union Print Lab, 5 p.m.
Robert Muldrow, a 21-year-old aerospace and mechanical engineering junior, said he voted for Change Party, even though he didn’t think it would make a difference.
“I feel like that's just not a good attitude to have, and people should just vote,” he said.
Muldrow said that he wasn’t there to support any particular candidates, but that he wanted to try and support Change Party despite their “historical” run of losses.
– Kaysheri Haffner
Reitz Union Print Lab, 4:55 p.m.
Gaurav Yemula, a 26-year-old computer science graduate student, said this was his first time voting. He said he had no specific reason for voting this year, but that he took notice because of the events student government sponsors.
“All the events that student government does, that feeds me,” Yemula said.
Yemula voted for Vision Party and didn’t have any candidates in mind when he cast his vote, he said.
– Kaysheri Haffner
Reitz Union Print Lab, 4:50 p.m.
Neha Bangalore, a 21-year-old data science junior, said she voted for Change Party across the ballot. She said she comes out to vote every year because she knows how much of her tuition money goes toward student government.
“It kind of concerns me,” she said. “It seems a little bit reckless, the way that they spend money on things that most students don't even want.”
Bangalore said she came to support the presidential candidate. She said she watches student government meetings and was inspired to support the Change Party policies because they appeared “more solid.”
– Kaysheri Haffner
Music Building, 1:40 p.m.
Independent arts school senator candidate Michael Lim established a “march to the polls” starting at 1:40 p.m. from the music building to the Reitz Union. Three people including Lim showed up for the march, 18-year-old UF music freshman Vinn Sellars and 18-year-old UF music education freshman Jenna Summers were the other people walking alongside the senate hopeful.
Lim was expecting a larger turnout, but the usual classes in the music building either let out earlier than he expected or music students voted Tuesday before he announced the march, he said.
Lim, who recently announced his departure from Change Party after serving as a party senator for the last two and half years, is running against Change candidate Andrew Larsen and Vision candidate Morgan Minch to represent the arts school.
Lim thinks he would be a successful senator because he understands the power of practicing kindness, he said.
“I think too many people in student government grow a big ego and they just essentially want to use that position as a power trip. When you operate that way, you’re never going to reach people’s hearts,” Lim said.
Wednesday marked Vinn Sellars’ and Jenna Summers’ first time voting. The freshman pair voted Lim for the arts senator seat.
“He’s a really great person in every aspect, and I think he would be great,” Summers said. “He clearly has the art’s best interest in mind.”
Summers explained Lim’s interest in fixing rundown areas in the music building also convinced her to vote for him.
– Michael Angee
Norman Hall Education Library, 1:33 p.m.
Sadie Henvey, a 19-year-old sports management freshman, said she voted for Vision Party. There were no particular policy points swaying her decision, but she said she preferred its overall platform to Change Party and Watch Party, but didn’t point to any specific Vision proposals swaying her position.
Henvey emphasized the importance of voting in student government elections, as she has participated in both elections since she got to campus.
“[Student government] plays a big part in the university,” Henvey said. “Everyone should vote because it decides what happens around school.”
– Paul Hof-Mahoney
Reitz Union, 12:43 p.m.
Ethan Clifford, a 19-year-old UF political science, economics and biochemical engineering junior, said he is voting for Watch Party because he knows Gavin Schwanke, president of Watch party and member of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu.
He wanted to support them as the party grows, he said.
– Michael Angee
Reitz Union, 11:12 a.m.
Jiwon Byun-Garson, a 19-year-old civil engineering sophomore, voted for Change because some of her friends are ambassadors for the party and disagreed with Vision’s stewardship of tuition dollars.
Byun-Garson took particular issue with how much money Vision has directed toward Greek life instead of other areas of student life, like academics.
She also said it’s important for students to listen to ambassadors and campaigners to stay informed about elections.
“Even if you don’t agree with them, it’s just good to listen,” she said.
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitz Union Print Lab, 10:23 a.m.
Twenty-eight-year-old Syed Ammar-Hussain said having a voice in campus life was important for him as a first-year applied data science graduate student.
“Taking part in elections helps me govern or dictate what my future is gonna look like, " he said. “That way, I get to dictate how my surroundings will eventually turn out as well.”
Ammar-Hussain also hoped other students would show up to the polls.
“It’s every individual’s right,” he said. “It is your birthright.”
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitz Union Print Lab, 10:08 a.m.
Jooho Jun, a 21-year-old UF computer science senior, urged students to vote because student government is a “training background for future politicians.”
“It's good to influence whoever will lead now, because they’ll probably have some sort of power in the future.” he said.
Jun voted for Vision and Watch candidates because he believes the two parties will hold more power in the senate than Change, which has lost members this election cycle. Change Party has consistently lost ground in the Senate in the last several elections.
“Over time, Change will probably lose its influence,” Jun siad.
– Jeffrey Serber
Reitz Union Print Lab, 9:39 a.m.
Hayden Abell voted for Vision, citing the party’s well-established support for Greek life. The 20-year-old UF sustainability sophomore said that her involvement in a sorority is what drove her to vote Vision. However, she still finds it important to look at the platforms of all the parties.
Abell noted that it’s important for students at UF to vote and know that their vote matters in capturing the student body’s opinion.
“I feel like it’s obviously the best chance of, you know, capturing what the entire university wants,” she said.
– Jeffrey Serber
Turlington Plaza, 9:10 a.m.
To kick off the second day of voting for student government elections, Change Party announced a flash sale of its merchandise on Instagram. Change’s table in Turlington is selling $5 crewnecks and $1 t-shirts in a last-day effort to bolster the party’s campus presence.
– Jeffrey Serber
This is an Alligator report.
