The beginning of the school year always signals the familiar start of election cycles. Flyers crowd freshman dorm walls and eager students file into Huntsman Hall, anxious to hear election results.
But elections can also happen in the middle of the semester.
In a little over three weeks, the Nominations and Elections Committee will be holding special elections to fill Undergraduate Assembly vacancies for College and Wharton Representatives. These new members will be filling the positions of College sophomore Fionn Adamian and Wharton and Engineering sophomore David Cahn, who both resigned for personal reasons. The Candidate Packet will be handed out on Oct. 28 and voting will begin on Nov. 11. Freshmen and first-year transfer students are not eligible to run for these elections.
UA President and College senior Jane Meyer said that for the most part, the special elections will be similar to the regular election cycle.
“The two will basically be the same in terms of the actual process, but only Wharton and College students can vote,” Meyer said.
UA Communications Director and College sophomore Sola Park also agreed that the elections would be on a smaller scale.
“Campaigning won’t be on a school-wide scale,” Park said.
NEC vice chair of elections and Wharton senior Matt Herling also added that voter turnout has not been as high for special elections in the past.
Special elections are not an uncommon occurrence for the UA. In the last year, there have been two occasions where vacancies had to be filled. But Meyer said that these elections give students another chance to join the UA and make a tangible change on campus.
“I think this is a great opportunity for individuals who have been interested in student government to get involved,” Meyer said.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.