News

ASM gearing up for spring voting

Associated Students of Madison’s Student Elections Committee is now accepting candidate declaration forms for 40 positions in the student government system.

Declaration forms for students wishing to run in the spring 2008 elections should be a simple document stating an intent to run and are due to the SEC by Monday, Feb. 25 at 11:59 p.m.

Thirty-three positions for the Student Council are up for election, along with three positions on the Student Services Finance Committee and positions for senior class president, vice president, treasurer and secretary.

According to Trenell Darby, ASM Student Elections Committee chair, SSFC is one of the most influential roles because they provide funding for several student organizations.

“SSFC is for people who want to be involved with making decisions and for people who want fairness,” Darby said.

The positions open on the SSFC are for two-year terms and extend through the end of April 2010.

Darby said the Student Council is for students who want to represent their peers. The committee is comprised of 33 members representing the many colleges within the University of Wisconsin.

According to ASM Chair Gestina Sewell, being a class leader is a good position for a person who wants to have a decision on who their class commencement speaker will be or who wants to speak at graduation.

Darby said it is important for students to go out and vote for their student government leaders.

“I feel a lot of people think ASM elections aren’t that important, but voting really does matter,” Darby said. “People see the benefits when they get their bus passes, but they don’t really know what is behind it.”

Students wishing to run for a position in the student elections should submit a statement stating their intent to run to SEC.

Voting will be held online for all students April 1-3.