By: Kate Balser
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV)- The Associated Student Government (ASG) is holding run-off elections this week for their President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
ASG Chief of Justice Anna Roach said that election runoffs happen when there is not a majority vote.
“This week is actually the run-off election. Last week we had the general election where we elected a new senate as well as a new vice president. But there were three candidates for the vice president’s office that didn’t reach 50% of votes so they go into a run off where the top two candidates have to be voted on again so that one of them can get over 50%.”
Last week’s general election was planned to determine the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Senators. However, only the Vice President was chosen, Hailey Hoog.
ASG elections are held every semester to determine who will be a part of the official representative body of the University of Arkansas’s undergraduate students. ASG is composed of five branches to serve as a liaison between the student body and the university administration.
Office of Financial Affairs’ Grady Schmidt said that ASG aims to help University students.
“So ASG is the Associated Student Government and basically what we do is we help any registered student organizations on campus as well as all students on campus through five different branches that we have. We have Senate, OFA, Judicial, Cabinet, and the Exec team, and through these five different things we try to get students involved on campus.”
Schmidt said that the Office of Financial Affairs funds multiple events each semester for different types of students’ interests.
“The big thing about OFA is we want to make sure that we include and make students on campus feel like they belong.”
The five branches are The Executive Team, The Cabinet, The Senate, Judiciary, and The Office of Financial Affairs. Each branch and role is vital in representing and advocating for the interests of the student body.
Currently, the President, Secretary, and Treasurer are up for the run-off election.
The ASG President serves as the primary spokesperson for the organization and represents the student body to the university administration and other external groups. They also oversee the work of the Executive Cabinet and work to ensure that ASG’s goals and objectives are met.
The Secretary oversees records, meeting, and activities for the Associated Student Government.
The Treasurer is a part of ASG Judiciary. This branch serves as the organization’s judicial branch, responsible for interpreting the ASG Constitution and Bylaws, resolving disputes, and enforcing the organization’s rules and regulations.
ASG elections have a large impact on the student body through their responsibilities of: advocacy, funding, leadership development, service, and student engagement.
- Advocacy: ASG represents the interests of the student body to the university administration, faculty, and staff. They advocate for policies, programs, and services that benefit students.
- Funding: ASG provides funding to student organizations for events, projects, and initiatives that enhance the student experience.
- Leadership development: ASG offers leadership development opportunities to students through training, workshops, and conferences. These opportunities help students develop leadership skills that can be applied in their academic and professional lives.
- Service: ASG engages in community service projects that benefit the local community and promote social responsibility among students.
- Student engagement: ASG hosts events and activities that promote student engagement and involvement on campus. These events create a sense of community and help students build relationships with their peers.
ASG’s Run-Off Election voting will take place Monday, March 13 through Wednesday, March 15 from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M..
Voting for ASG President is between Cael Losenegger and Peyton Fair, voting for ASG Secretary is between Brady Voss and Campbell Babin, and voting for ASG Treasurer is between Allie Rosen and Danny Moreno.