How to Follow Campus Elections - Student Government Association Blog

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How to Follow Campus Elections

by

Hey Bears!  

This blog will outline three pieces of advice for you all to follow the upcoming spring SGA Election and prepare to vote. If you have questions about the election, please reach out to SGA Chief Elections Commissioner Emily Chandler ec6364s@MissouriState.edu. Chief Chandler oversees all details related to the Spring election including the candidates, elections code, and polling stations. Additionally, you can expect updates about the election on our Instagram, which is @mostatesga.  

  1. Understand the lingo. Campus elections involve terminology that you may or may not be familiar with. Below you can find definitions to key terms that are important to know.
General Terms
    • Ticket – A team of three individuals who have agreed to run a campaign together, and work alongside one another for the subsequent year. For Student Body includes a Student Body President Candidates, Student Body Vice President Candidate, and Campaign Manager. For Senior Class tickets, this includes a Senior Class Candidate, and Campaign Manager. The Campaign Manager for a Student Body ticket traditionally is appointed Chief of Staff if elected, but this is not required.
    • Platform – A list of projects, and initiatives a ticket hopes to complete, if elected.
    • Elections Code – An SGA document outlining all rules for the SGA Election. This document is open to the public and can be found on the SGA website. 
    • SGA Leadership – This often refers to the Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, Senior Class President, and Chief of Staff. This team is not required by the SGA Constitution, but often works together to make decisions for SGA, and the broader student body. 
Voting Terms
    • Abstain – Declining to vote on one question/issue on a ballot.
    • Vote No Confidence – A vote that expresses a lack of support for a candidate or issue on the ballot. 
  2. Follow campaign accounts and review each tickets platform. Campaign accounts are where you can learn more about Candidates.  Platforms are your way to know what you are voting for, and what Candidates hope to accomplish if elected. 
    • Student Body President/Vice President Campaign (on instagram) – @votecollinsam
    • Senior Class President Campaign (on instagram) – @Bekah4seniors
  3. Ask the candidates questions. Asking questions is a great way to better understand the Candidates. The perfect time to ask questions would be a Candidate Open Forum.  
    • Candidate open forums will be on March 25th, 2025, at 7pm in PSU 313.