Only one Student Government party entered the Fall 2025 election. But UF students still lined up at the Reitz Student Union, Norman Education Library and other campus polling locations to cast their ballots in races that are largely uncontested.
Students cast 6,155 ballots on the first day of elections, according to Supervisor of Elections Lexi Sederopoulos.
Vision Party, founded in 2023, is the only major party participating in this election after Change Party representatives said their party did not have the numbers to run a full campaign. Vision currently holds a majority in the Student Senate and won 46 seats last Spring. Change won two.
Students are voting on 50 living-area senators, including 13 on-campus and 37 off-campus seats. Aside from Vision, only a handful of independent candidates are running: Timothy Dillehay, Gabrielle Ontiveros and Kayla Arora, for the Yulee Hall, Hume Hall and off-campus spots, respectively.
Elections began Sept. 29 and will continue through Sept. 30.
Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on both days at:
- Reitz Union Print Lab
- Norman Hall Education Library
- Health Science Center Library
- Heavener Hall
- Law School Library
- Southwest Recreation Center
- Keys Complex
- Cypress Hall
Candidates and other SG officials are expected to gather at the Reitz Union Tuesday evening in anticipation of election results.
Gracyn Frederick, a 21-year-old UF industrial and systems engineering senior, is not surprised that Vision is the only party to run a campaign this semester.
“I’ve been here for four years, so I’ve kind of seen them start to take over everything,” she said.
Ava Steadman, a 19-year-old UF health science freshman, is voting because of her sorority and to support Vision’s cause.
She supports Ethan Simon, a Vision candidate for Jennings Hall.
“I came out to vote for my sorority, and the cause,” she said. “[Vision candidates] were always outside Jennings.”
Jacob Werner, an 18-year-old UF electrical engineering freshman, is supporting Vision this year.
“I came out to vote today because I saw a lot of the Vision Parties campaigning around campus, and I really liked what they were doing — and to support my fraternity, of course,” he said.
He said it’s weird that there is only one party running, but it doesn’t affect him too much.
Ella Barlett, a 19-year-old UF graphic design sophomore, is voting for Vision because her sorority encourages it and believes it makes sense that it is the only party running this year.
“I get a point for my sorority,” she said. “We are the most active, and I feel like a lot of Greek life does have the most voice in the elections.”
Ilana Illfelder, an 18-year-old UF neuroscience freshman, and 18-year-old UF psychology freshman Olivia Sosin voted for Vision to support their sorority sisters.
“Two of our sisters in our sorority are running, so we wanted to support them,” Illfelder said.
Joshua Poole, an 18-year-old electrical engineering freshman, voted for independent candidates because he wants to see changes like more RTS funding and support for marginalized communities.
“I think that voting is important and that I need to make my voice heard as to what changes I want to happen on campus,” he said. “To be silent is to be compliant.”
Bianca Kisic, an 18-year-old finance freshman, took to the voting polls for the first time at Norman Library. This election helped her understand voting at UF.
When asked why she came out to vote she replied, “honestly, my sorority.”
Kisic said she will continue to vote in upcoming elections.
Alexa Ryan and Teia Williams contributed to this report.
