As Student Government Association campaigns approach, candidates are ready to show how much they believe in Auburn and love it.
The early stages of campaigning include three major steps.
The first step for candidates is to select a group of supporters.
"Major candidates select a campaign manager, a top-five group of supporters and ask local businesses and residences for coupons and billboard placements," said Katherine Simeroth, elections director and senior in communications and prelaw.
The second step is for the candidate to introduce themselves to the public.
"Candidates schedule times to visit organizations during campaign week and also make plans with their campaign staffs," Simeroth said.
The third and final step in beginning campaigning is to turn in a budget to SGA.
"Candidates turn in materials that they will use for campaigning to be approved or unapproved by the Elections Directorate" Simeroth said.
"The day before anything goes up on campus, candidates must submit an itemized budget to be approved.
There are 13 candidates running for the positions of president, vice president, treasurer, and Miss Auburn. Sixty-five minor candidates are running for other positions in SGA.
"This last week before campaign week begins is a critical point when many things such as billboards, gimmicks and T-shirts all come together," said Cary Bayless, SGA president candidate and junior in English with a Spanish minor.
"Its great seeing everyone's hard work paying off as we check things off our list."
Campaign week should be easier because people will understand that you have to be somewhere for campaigning said Will McCartney, SGA president candidate and senior in ecological engineering and economics with two minors in sustainability and hunger studies.
"The campaigning process has definitely been busy, but it's a great process to go through since you learn a lot," McCartney said.
Balancing school and campaigning can be a challenging feat to accomplish, Bayless said.
"Campaigning makes you become the most organized person you know," Bayless said. "Making sure that school comes first is the most important."
Bayless said he is running for SGA President because the Lord has blessed him with this opportunity.
"Staying grounded in that truth will keep me steady throughout the entire process," Bayless said.
McCartney said he wants to aim for the students who do not normally vote.
"I don't want to just target the people in SGA," McCartney said.
"It's definitely important because the student government is the voice of the entire student body."
SGA executive officers, the elections directorate and the elections board remain neutral throughout the campaign process, Simeroth said.
Although the elections staff of SGA stays neutral during elections, the rest of the student body can get involved and even run for office.
"These are the people that represent all students," Simeroth said.
Simeroth's tips on running a winning campaign are short and simple: "Run a fair and honest campaign."
For more information on candiates and elections go to auburn.edu/elections.
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