Student candidates for the Fullerton College Associated Students government have started to prepare their campaigns for the upcoming election. The voting is set to start on Monday, April 22.
Faculty Advisor for A.S. Ronald Farol said that students still interested in running for a senate or executive position can fill out the election application until Friday, April 12. The application must also come with a head shot, a statement about the potential candidate that is a maximum of 350 words and an optional three-minute video.
Candidates must have 5 units or more each semester at Fullerton College and a 2.0 GPA or higher in the current semester and prior semester. The election is open to all Fullerton College students, as long as the requirements are met.
If a prospective candidate is an incoming freshman, a 2.0 GPA in your senior year of high school, and a 2.0 GPA for any current college work that may have been completed are the requirements. Students must maintain these grades during the campaign and, if elected, at their time in office.
The campaigning starts on Monday, April 15, and all candidates will be able to go public with their campaign. Farol emphasized that it should be conducted ethically and following all the rules and regulations as official candidates on the ballot. Students can only spend up to $100 on their campaign, which will last until Friday, April 19.
Farol also encouraged students to focus on their own campaign, follow the guidelines, and not try to make other candidates look bad. “All candidate campaigns should be conducted ethically with mutual respect from other candidates,” said Farol.
Student campaign publicity must be sent to the A.S. election committee for approval before publishing on their social media. Posters must be approved by Student Life and Leadership before they are allowed to be hung in select areas on campus.
All students can vote from April 22 to April 26 electronically. The voting link can be found on the Associated Students’ website or personal Instagram during the election.
Candidates who did not fill out the application in time or missed the orientation meetings which happened from April 8 to April 10, can still run and be voted for by writing their names in the spaces provided on the ballots.
However, to win the desired position, 15 written votes or more must be submitted, whereas a candidate already on the ballot only needs one vote minimum.
The election committee counts the balance and confirms the positions on Monday, April 29. Results are expected to be released on Tuesday, April 30. Results will be found on the Associated Students website and their Instagram.
If no student runs for an available position, a special election will be held in the fall semester, for those positions to be filled.
On May 7, elected officials will be sworn into positions and new meeting times will be determined.
Associated Students, the student-run government at Fullerton College, aims to give students a voice on school topics that directly affect them.
A.S. is also involved with many different campus events, student life and activities with different departments to better the student experience across campus.
The Student Senate meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.. The meeting times are planned to change next semester based on the newly elected staff’s availability.
“I noticed Tuesdays seem to be peak hours for students when they are in classes,” said Farol. “At 1:30 to 2, I think most students are still in class and this is why we have lower membership than we’ve had in the past.”
The election is open to all Fullerton College students, as long as the requirements are met. “I feel like having a voice on campus is super important and being able to be a part of the student body,” said a Communication studies major running for VP of Public Relations.
Every spring semester, an election like the upcoming one is held for students to run in 28 different AS positions. President, VP of Senate, VP of Finance, VP of Public Relations, VP of Activities, VP of Records, Student Trustee, and 21 positions in the Student Senate.
