Hunter Gibson, at-large senator, proposed the second of four amendment proposals to the election law at Monday evening's meeting. The proposal is sponsored by the at-large senators.
"A couple of the big things would be modernizing it, adding in the way that declarations of intent and nominations for Miss Auburn and Miss Homecoming are delivered," Gibson said.
Declarations of intent and nomination forms will no longer be hand delivered, but submitted online via AUInvolve.
The at-large senators also proposed changes to the make-up of the qualification panels that select the candidates for Miss Homecoming and Miss Auburn.
The preliminary qualifications panel, which is made up mostly of students, will now have a faculty member on the panel if the senators' bill is approved. The current elections advisor will take the place of a student appointed by the student government president.
"We felt like it would be a good idea to have that perspective in the first interview," Gibson said. "So, to have a good variety in that first round of interviews we're adding in the elections advisor."
According to the senators' proposal, candidates in student body elections will no longer have the right to verbally endorse other candidates.
"If a presidential candidate said 'Hey, you should also vote for Justin Matthews for vice-president,' that would be considered a verbal endorsement and also forming a party," Gibson said.
Major candidates for student body positions, including president, vice-president, treasurer, Miss Homecoming and Miss Auburn, do not have the right to form parties. The proposal is intended to prevent unofficial parties.
Gibson said most of the other changes to the election law concerned wording, typos and readability.
"This is election law; this is what governs who gets elected and how they get elected," said Justin Matthews, SGA vice-president. "So, please take a lot of time this week to form an opinion on this."
The senate approved another bill on Monday evening that will allow transfer students to interview for cabinet positions. Prior to the bill's approval, students had to be enrolled for at least one semester before interviewing for a position.
"The reasoning is to allow students who may have certain skills, who would really be a good addition to cabinet, to at least apply for cabinet," said Drake Pooley, business senator. Pooley went on to say that it will remain the responsibility of those interviewing to ensure that the applicant is qualified and knowledgeable about the position.
The senate also approved the allocation of senate seats for next year. The senate will remain at 34 seats. There were no verbal nays.
Pooley and Meredith Smith, liberal arts senator, discussed an idea earlier this semester that would have expanded the senate from 34 seats to 50. The bill approved at Monday's meeting does not contain any expansion.
An amendment to the code of laws was approved that will reduce the frequency of Schools Council meetings from bimonthly to monthly.
The at-large senators' first amendment to the code of laws that is intended to modernize the rules that govern elections by the student body was also approved tonight. The change to the election law made on Monday evening is most likely the first of several to come.
Brad Smith, SGA advisor, reminded the senate about the Green Dot Program.
"Being a green dot bystander is really easy," Smith said. "It can be as simple a posting a profile picture or one tweet that you don't stand for sexual assault."
The Green Dot Program is intended to reduce sexual assault and violence on university campuses.
"I just encourage you guys to continue to think of ways that you can commit to being a green dot bystander on this campus so that the people that come into our community know that we don't tolerate those types of things here and that those things are on us," Smith said. "It takes those situations where the focus is usually on the individuals affected directly by it and instead places the focus on the people that are right outside the situation, the bystander, who should really be in the situation."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
