The second day of slating and qualifying saw a slight increase of students running, or slating, with either Access Party or Impact Party.
For Fall 2015 Student Government elections, 76 candidates qualified, with 12 slating with Access, 64 slating with Impact and no student slates as independent, UF Supervisor of Elections Sam Book wrote in an email.
UF SG continued the interview process Wednesday for students looking to qualify for the elections to fill 50 Student Senate seats based on students’ residential locations. On the first day of slating, 50 students slated with Impact, 13 with Access and one as an independent, Book said.
Students can register with Access, Impact or as an independent candidate. To qualify, students must be full-time and have their Gator 1 Card, Book said.
Impact president Chris Boyett, a former Access senator, said the new party is a combination of members from Swamp Party and Access Party. Swamp didn’t register for slating.
Boyett said two more former Access members, aside from Sen. Saneh Ste. Claire and himself, have joined Impact, but he declined to identify them.
He said he was happy with the amount of students who came out to slate.
"I like the idea of democracy – two parties running against each other," he said.
Ramsey Touchberry said he decided to slate because some senators he knew encouraged him to join SG.
The 19-year-old political science and telecommunication sophomore said he slated with Impact to "carry on with the good stuff that Swamp was doing."
Access president Kalyani Hawaldar said she expects most people to slate either today or Tuesday.
"We’ve had people trickling in," she said. "I’m expecting a pretty good turnout."
Taisha Saintil said she decided to slate with Access because it gives students more opportunity.
"They’re all about equality and everyone having a voice," the 17-year-old UF political science freshman said.
Slating continues today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Students must prove their residency Thursday by providing either certified mail delivered by postal service, an Alachua County voter registration card, an original copy of their lease, an original copy of utility or cable bill prior to qualifying, an original copy of a promissory note or lease from a fraternity or sorority house, an original copy of their homeowner’s insurance or an original copy of a warranty deed.
Both parties will notify candidates if they have been chosen by Thursday.
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
