Elections

Beginning January 22, we welcome candidates filling for executive office, senate, and referenda. 

Filing for Candidacy

Any full-time enrolled undergraduate student who has paid the activity fee is eligible to file for candidacy. Filing for candidacy is similar to sharing an intention to run for office. Candidates must file for candidacy to publicly solicit votes (on social media or in person). Learn more about filing for candidacy and running for executive office, senate seats, or petitioning for a referendum at informational meetings.

• Monday, January 22 - Filing for Candidacy Opens @ 8:00 AM
  • Location: Engage
• Thursday, January 25 - Informational Meeting 1 & Mandatory Referenda Writing Workshop, covers application, positions, and referenda, @ 8:00 PM
  • Location: TBA 
• Monday, January 29 - Informational Meeting 2, covers application and positions, @ 8:00 PM
  • Location: TBA
• Wednesday, February 7 - Filing for Candidacy Closes* @ 12:00 PM
  • Location: Zoom

Candidacy

Prior to the start of campaigning, when candidates officially share that they are running for positions, they will review all election rules. 

• Wednesday, February 7 - Mandatory Candidates Meeting* @ 9:15 PM
  
  • Location: TBA
• Thursday, February 8 - Interim Period Begins, candidates may reach out to organizations to schedule official visits for campaigning, @ 8:00 AM

*Students who do not attend the mandatory candidates meeting shall be automatically disqualified. In the case that a candidate is part of a ticket, the ticket shall dissolve and the candidate who did attend the meeting will retain their candidacy. Please reach out to the Elections Commission Chair if you have questions. 

Campaigning

Candidates will advertise their desire for election via graphic campaigning (in-person and/or virtually). Only currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate students may serve as campaign members or supports. Campaign members, limited to 15, may contribute time, effort, and energy to campaigns. 

• Monday, February 12 - Graphic Campaigning Begins @ 8:00 AM 
• Tuesday, February 13 - Meet the Candidates @ TBA
  • Location: TBA
• Wednesday, February 14 - Vote Rally with Get Out the Vote @ TBA
  • Location: TBA
• Thursday, February 15 - Big Three (President, Vice President, and Treasurer) Debates @ TBA
  • Location: TBA
• Sunday, February 18 - Final Campaign Member List Due*

*Candidates or tickets who fail to submit a campaign member list may be in violation of the Election Codes.

Voting

All currently enrolled, full-time undergraduate students who have paid their activity fee are eligible to vote in elections. Students will only see ballots they are eligible to cast a vote in (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences students will vote on a College of Arts & Sciences senator). If you anticipate seeing a ballot but do not, please contact our advisor, Dr. Heather Stevens, at hstevens@miami.edu. 

• Monday, February 19 - Elections Day 1
  • Vote on Engage or in-person @ TBA
• Tuesday, February 20 - Elections Day 2
  • Vote on Engage or in-person @ TBA
• Wednesday, February 21 - Elections Day 3 & Financial Reports Due* at 11:59 PM
  • Vote on Engage or in-person @ TBA
  • Financial Reports Location: Engage
• Thursday, February 22 - Results Announced @ 12:00 PM
  • Location: TBA

*Candidates or tickets who fail to submit their financial report (whether or not they have spent money) will be automatically disqualified. 

Run-off Elections

For races where an executive candidate fails to receive a majority (50% of the vote plus 1 vote) or a senate candidate, fails to receive a plurality of votes, a run-off election shall occur. Only voters who are eligible will be invited to participate in the run-off election.  

• Monday, February 26 - Run-off Election(s) Day 1
  
  • Vote on Engage or in-person @ TBA
• Tuesday, February 27 - Run-off Election(s) Day 2
  • Vote on Engage or in-person @ TBA
• Wednesday, February 28 - Run-off Election(s) Day 3 & Run-off Candidate Finacial Reports Due*
  • Vote on Engage or in-person @ TBA
  • Financial Reports Location: Engage
• Thursday, February 29 - Results Announced @ TBA
  
  • Location: TBA

*Candidates or tickets who fail to submit their financial report (whether or not they have spent money) will be automatically disqualified. 

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.

• 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.

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.

• Fall 2023
• Spring 2023
• Fall 2022
• Spring 2022
• Fall 2021
• Spring 2021
• Fall 2020
• Spring 2020
• Fall 2019
• Spring 2019
• Fall 2018
• Spring 2018
• Fall 2017
• Spring 2017
• Fall 2016