An increase of 200 students voted on the first day of Student Government elections compared to last Fall.
A total of 5,517 students voted Tuesday, said Henry Fair, the SG supervisor of elections. Last Fall, 5,318 students voted on the first day. Students will elect 50 senators based on residence this Fall. Voting will continue today from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and results will be announced at night.
Voting locations are scattered throughout campus in places like the Reitz Union printing lab, Southwest Recreation Center and Marston Science Library.
Nish Patel, a 20-year-old UF finance junior, cast his first SG ballot. He voted for candidates from both parties in District D, he said.
“They were campaigning pretty hard, and they were sure of what they wanted to accomplish on campus,” Patel said. “I just wanted to support them all.”
It was a privilege for Garrett Graham, a 19-year-old UF political science sophomore, to vote, he said. He voted for Impact Party because he is a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
“They support the fraternity and Greek-life system,” Graham said.
After learning her classmate was running with Inspire Party, Lilith Maki, an 18-year-old UF engineering freshman, voted in her first SG election.
“I would like to see students have more of a voice in activities and things that directly affect them like football games, food and financial aid,” Maki said.
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
Students sit at voting stations at the Marston Science Library computer lab polling location and cast their votes for last Fall's Student Government elections on Sept. 25. Marston is one of several locations students can vote at on Wednesday.
