SGA Senate is working toward creating a more inclusive and accessible environment across Auburn’s campus with the passing of an amendment to SGA’s anti-discrimination policy and newly proposed amendments to formal election laws.
SGA passed an amendment to its anti-discrimination policy known as Title XVI. It states SGA will comply with the regulations of Auburn University regarding unlawful discrimination or harassment of students as well as its own specific anti-discrimination policy.
“Ours differs a little from the Auburn policy in that it’s more inclusive,” said Max Zinner, the graduate school senator who presented the amendment last week. “It’s an attempt to be more intersectional here and ensure that SGA is representing all students and unifying all those are Auburn as our motto says.”
Continuing the topic of inclusivity, Zinner proposed major amendments to the formal election laws, including ridding color schemes within a campaign, allowing the use of mass-media advertisements, placing lower caps on major-campaign expenditures, requiring full disclosure of budgets and source and moving the requirement for run-off elections from 40 percent to a 50-percent majority vote.
Zinner presented a change to Chapter 709.1.4, allowing candidates to campaign without the requirement of a color scheme. Zinner called SGA’s requirement of color a burden on the candidates that inhibited informative student voting.
“I really hope that students can do more than just say I want to vote for the blue one," Zinner said. "I want them to actually take a look at the names, the platforms."
Zinner also noted the financial downside of requiring color schemes, since many candidates simply do not have the funds to print mass materials in color the way other candidates do. Allowing black-and-white material for major candidates would level the playing field and make campaigns more equitable. However, nothing would be taken away from candidates who desired to use colors in their campaigns.
“Let people color or not color as much as they want,” Zinner said. “It is setting a lower bar of entry for potential candidates.”
An amendment to Chapter 709.4 will allow candidates to utilize social media advertising to further their platforms across campus, which was previously prohibited. With the growth of the digital world, Zinner said social media advertising must be considered. He made it clear, however, that any advertisements must be included in the final budget to maintain transparency with the student body.
Zinner also proposed lowering the limit of major campaign expenditures in an effort to make campaigning available to all students.
“The numbers of the budgets, that can be difficult for people to reach if they don’t have a big organization to back them,” Zinner said.
Budgets for SGA president, vice president and treasurer will lower from $1,500 to $1,000, while the Miss Auburn budget will lower from $1,000 to $750, the same as Miss Homecoming. All other campaign expenditures will remain.
“My concern is that a lot of extra money is spent on expensive candy or creating a scene, whereas writing a platform, printing that platform and handing it out is not very expensive," Zinner said. "So that’s the basics that I hope people would go toward."
With changes presented to Chapter 710.2, candidates will also be required to disclose their budgets and the sources of all campaign funds to their Budget Record Forms, which will be posted on SGA’s website one week prior to voting day.
A proposal was also made to Chapter 714, regarding the possibility of run-off elections. The proposed amendment will move the run-off requirement from 40 percent of the student body to 50 percent. Zinner said the proposal is meant to ensure the majority of voices are heard, but he hopes the amendment will be just for the spring as a new instant run-off system is in the works for next year.
The proposed amendments will be voted on next Monday at SGA’s weekly meeting.
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