UVUSA: Election Time!

Evelyn Shannen

January 18, 2020

schedule 3 min read
Who: Presidential Candidates What: UVUSA Candidate Panel When: Feb 20th, 12:00 Center Stage Photo by: Jonah Hokit

It is a new decade, a new semester, and the perfect time to start looking to find the new Utah Valley University Student Association (UVUSA) council!

Following the weekly council meeting, current UVUSA student body president, Taylor Bell, along with coordinators Todd Olsen and Marissa King, held an informational session to inform potential candidates on the election process.

All elected positions will be up for grabs such as Student Body President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Academics, and Vice President of Activities. 

Do I Qualify To Run?

Any students enrolled at UVU, with credit hours as low as 1, and with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 are welcome to submit an application by January 28th.

On January 30th, there will be a mandatory orientation meeting for potential candidates where they will officially declare their candidacy.

How Do The Elections Work?

This year, the UVUSA has decided to take a new route in how these elections are run. Instead of doing standard voting, with primaries and generals, a ranked choice voting method was chosen. 

Starting the week of February 24th, candidates will have 3 days of on-campus campaigning before voting closes on Wednesday, Feb. 26th at 4 pm. 

Why Should I Run?

Being apart of the Executive Council is the chance for students to be the voice for the rest of their classmates when making decisions that affect the school. It is a year long commitment that starts from the day you are elected, so if you have a love for UVU and want to make a difference, you are invited to give it a shot.

“Stay in your lane and find that reason for running,” says Bell. “It is only worth it if you find a reason beyond the resume, beyond the compensation.”

If you are thinking of running, the consensus from the current executive council is; 

Taylor Bell, Student Body President, discussing his policies and views for the 2019-2020 school year. Photo by Natasha Colburn.

“Stay true to your platform and your campaign while running cause that is what you would be elected for,” Bell says. “Don’t overthink or worry about other things. Just focus on talking to students. Every second that you are wasting is time you could be working on getting a vote.”

“Have a team. Make sure they know your values and can pretty much be you part 2,” says Annie Smith, current Vice President of Activities. “It is also a very stressful time, so having people you can talk to throughout the day, who are checking up on you, is very helpful.”

“If running scares you, then you are doing the right thing,” says Brylee Bromley, current UVUSA Executive Vice President. “You aren’t gonna grow or change if you are comfortable, and I promise running is worth it regardless of the outcome!”

For more information, go to https://www.uvu.edu/uvusa/elections/