Elections

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Spring 2026 Elections

Becoming a Candidate

Any currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate student who has paid their activity fee is eligible to run in Student Government elections for open Senate seats or open Executive positions. In the Spring semester, any student or registered student organization may place a referendumˆ or question on the ballot.  

  • Monday, January 12 @ 8:00 AM - Filing for Candidacy Opens*
  • Monday, January 26 @ 8:00 PM - Informational Meeting and Mandatory Referenda Writing Workshop
    • Location: TBA
    • Zoom ID: TBA
  • Wednesday, February 4 @ 12:00 PM (noon) - Filing for Candidacy Closes*
  • Wednesday, February 4 @ 9:15 PM - Mandatory Candidates & Referenda Sponsors' Meeting*
    • Location: TBA

ˆPlease note: referenda require 500 student signatures to be featured on the ballot, it is recommended to reach out to the Elections Commission prior to collecting signatures. More information may be found in the election codes.

Campaigning

As a candidate or referendum sponsor, you are permitted to encouraging voters to vote for you. Candidates should coordinate in-person graphic campaigning with their assigned Elections Commissioner. 

  • Monday, February 9 @ 8:00 AM - Graphic Campaigning begins
  • Tuesday, February 10 @ TBA PM - Meet the Candidates
    • Location: TBA
  • Wednesday, February 11 @ 3:00 PM - Big Three Debates
    • Location: Rathskeller
  • Sunday, February 15 @ 11:59 PM - Final Campaign Member List Due*

Voting

Full-time enrolled students who have paid their activity fee will be able to cast a vote for no less than 3 representatives. Voting occurs on Engage, but the Elections Commission will also host daily events where you can get an item for voting in person.

  • Monday, February 16 @ 12:01 AM Polls Open
    • Location: Engage
    • In-Person Location: TBA
  • Tuesday, February 17
    • Location: Engage 
    • In-Person Location: TBA
  • Wednesday, February 18 @ 11:59 PM Polls Close
    • Location: Engage
    • In-Person Location: TBA

Candidate Support and Deadlines

Candidates are required to complete a financial disclosure form by poll closing. Candidates who do not submit their financial report (including indicating that they have not spent money) will be automatically disqualified regardless of the outcome of their race. The Elections Commission is available for questions prior. 

  • Wednesday, February 18 @ 10:00 PM Candidates Zoom Meeting
    • Location: Zoom
  • Wednesday, February 18 @ 11:59 PM Candidate Financial Form Due

Results

Come out or join virtually to hear who will represent you!

  • Thursday, February 19 @ 12:00 PM Results Announced
    • Location: TBA

Run-Off Elections

In the case that an executive candidate fails to receive a majority or a senate candidate fails to receive a plurality, a run-off election will be hosted. 

  • Thursday, February 19 @ 12:00 PM Graphic Campaigning Begins
  • Tuesday, February 24 @ 12:00 PM Polls Open
  • Wednesday, February 25 @ 12:01 AM Polls Close
  • Thursday, February 26 @ 12:00 PM Results Announced

Scheduled Open Senate Seats

Senators serve one year terms with the possibility of continuing service if they meet candidacy requirements and win their respective election. Below is the schedule for open senate seats. The number beside each seat refers to the total amount of seats for that constituency that will be open. If a senate seat becomes vacant, the seat will be open for special appointment via application.

Open Senate Seats

Fall Seats

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  • Academic Constituencies

    • School of Architecture (1)
    • College of Arts & Sciences (2)
    • Miami Herbert Business School (2)
    • School of Communication (1)
    • School of Education & Human Development (1)
    • College of Engineering (1)
    • Frost School of Music (1)
    • Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, & Earth Science (1)
    • School of Nursing & Health Studies (1)

    Students must be enrolled in that school/college to run and serve this constituency. 

  • Class Constituencies

    • First-Year Class (2)
    • Sophomore Class (2)
    • Junior Class (2)
    • Senior Class (2)

    Students must be in that academic year by the length of time at University or completed credit amount to run and serve this constituency. Voters will only have access to class level determined by credits completed. If you believe you should have access to a different ballot when voting, please do not submit your ballot and contact our advisor, Dr. Heather Stevens at hstevens@miami.edu. 

  • Residential Constituencies

    • Centennial Village (1)
    • Mahoney Residential College (1)
    • Pearson Residential College (1)
    • Eaton Residential College (1)
    • University Village (1)
    • Lakeside Village (1)
    • Fraternity Row (1)
    • Commuter (3)

  • Unique Constituencies

    • Student Athlete (1)
    • Transfer Students (2)
    • International Students (2)
    • Veteran Students (1)
    • Student Employee (1)
    • First-Generation Student (1)

Spring Seats

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Common Questions

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  • What does filing for candidacy and running mean?

    Filing for candidacy means that you are indicating that you want to be involved in Student Government and you would like to represent your fellow students.

    For students interested in executive positions:

    • any currently enrolled, full time undergraduate student can vote for you.


    For students interested in senate:

    • Only students who fall into that group are eligible to vote for the representative of that group.
    Students who run for positions often campaign to educate voters about why they are the best candidate for a specific position. Campaign materials may include palm cards, t-shirts, flyers, emails, etc.

    Candidates are able to spend money on their campaign items, but they may spend no more than $300 for senate candidates or $1,000 collectively for executive candidates. Spending money is not a mandatory part of campaigning, but whether you spend money or not, you must submit a financial form to the Elections Commission by 10:00am on Thursday, February 20.

  • What are the qualifications to file for candidacy?

    To run, you must have at least a 2.5 GPA for the Senate and a 2.75 GPA for Executive positions. Our advisors will also check discipline records for all candidates. In the Senate, you can only run for seats of which you are a constituent - for example, if you are in the College of Arts and Sciences, are a Junior, live off-campus, and are a Veteran student, you would only be eligible to run for one of those seats.

  • What is included in the application to file for candidacy?

    Candidates will share their preferred name, bio to be featured on the ballot, headshot for the ballot, and seat running. Additional information including contact information, academic school/college, GPA, and other enrollment verification information. 

    Please note: candidates who are running on a ticket will have an additional page to complete related to their running mates and ticket name. 

  • I'm planning to be a candidate. What happens if I do not attend the Candidates Meeting or Referenda Workshop?

    If you are running for candidacy - Senate or Executive - you must attend the meeting to learn about the election codes and receive confirmation that you meet all eligibility requirements. If you do not attend the meeting, you cannot run.

  • What is a ticket?

    A ticket is a group of people who are all running for their seats together - meaning that they would be working towards and accomplishing the same goals if elected. To be a ticket you much fall in to no more than one of these categories:

    • Candidates running for a single school (Senate)
    • Candidates running for a single academic class (Senate)
    • Candidates running for a residential constituency (Senate)
    • Candidates running for a unique population (Senate)
    • Candidates running for President, Vice President and/or Treasurer (Executive)

  • Do candidates have to follow specific rules?

    Yes, candidates must follow the election codes. The Elections Commission works hard to ensure a fair election. They enforce and maintain Election Codes that ALL candidates and other students campaigning for candidates must follow. You can access the elections codes here. 

  • Is there somewhere that I can report a candidate who I think is behaving inappropriately?

    The goal of the Elections Commission is to create a fair and open election. If you think someone may be breaking an outlined rule, please contact an elections commissioner.

  • Who do I contact if I have a question?

    The Elections Commission runs elections. All questions related to elections should be directed to the Chair - sgelections@miami.edu.

Prior Elections Results

Student Government Elections serve the crucial purpose of enabling the elections for positions representing the undergraduate student body. All full-time enrolled undergraduate students are eligible to vote in fall and spring elections. Both fall and spring elections feature senate seats; only spring elections feature executive candidates (president, vice president, and treasurer) and referenda.

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