The ASPSU race is on

The list of candidates is pouring in for the spring student body elections. This year the elections will be May 14, 15 and 16.

So far there is a short list of people who have been approved for candidacy and who have gone to the Candidate Orientation Meeting.

Mary Cunningham and Emily Garrick are running for president and vice president respectively. Steven Archer and Salimeh Evjen are also running for the president and vice president position. Olivia McClelland is on the list for a Student Fee Committee member. Chris Moller is running Student Fee Committee Chair.

Additional people have been approved for candidacy but have not yet attended the Candidate Orientation Meeting. To run for an elected office in the student government an application of candidacy must be filled out. In addition to completion of the application, a statement of candidacy must also be turned in. The application and statement of candidacy were due in printed and electronic form by 5 p.m. on April 19. All candidates also had to attend orientation.

Thursday was also the last Candidate Orientation Meeting. This Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., a final list of candidates will be announced at an Elections Committee meeting. This year the dates for application were extended since the elections dates were moved. The student body elections typically happen in the middle of April. This year the elections dates moved from April 18, 19 and 20 to May 14, 15 and 16. It is a violation of the Portland State constitution not to have the elections the third week in April. However, the constitution was already in violation.

According to the constitution, the Election Committee was to be appointed by the student body president during fall term. This Election Committee was not a working body until the week before finals winter term. Under the original election dates, students would have essentially had to decide that they were going to run for a student government position, turn in an application and statement of application that same day.

One of the reasons for the middle of May election dates is that the Elections Committee Amendments state that the orientation “shall be no later than thirty (30) days prior to the election.” Because of the delay in the formation of the elections committee, Portland State students were given a larger window of opportunity to run for elected position.