A 24-hour voting period will determine which candidates will become president and vice president of Student Government. On Wednesday at 4:30 in the Live Oak Lounge, the results will be announced.
Commissioner of Elections Missy Wheeler said the election board changed the length of election time from a two-day voting period because it thought students were getting frustrated with extra campaigning presence on campus.
Vice presidential candidate for The Next Step Taylor Lambert said it’s more effective to have one voting day because students were bombarded by the lengthy election season last year.
Vice presidential candidate for Experience LSU Ashleigh Pichon spent most of her voting day handing out flyers and socializing with students in the quad.
“It’s like three years of your life wrapped into one day,” Pichon said. “It’s like watching a dream come into a reality.
The Experience LSU ticket was handing out flyers in tents, including stations by the University College Center for Freshman Year, Journalism Building and the Business Education Complex. The Next Step tents were located in Free Speech Alley, Cox Auditorium, Patrick F. Taylor and other locations.
There was a voting station located outside each of the two dining halls on campus. Students could go to the table and vote on a laptop provided. Wheeler said about 30 people voted at The 459’s dining hall’s station around 3 pm.
In addition to changing the length of the elections, the SG election board implemented other changes for this election season that allows tickets to spend $3,000 on their campaign instead of the $2,500 last year’s candidates had. They also allow Senate and College Council candidates to spend $75 instead of $50 while independents who are not on a ticket can spend $300.
The election board also decided to hold official meetings if problems arise during campaigning this year. Wheeler said the board used to vote in a Group Me smartphone application if it could not officially meet together like it did last year.
Wheeler said candidates are allowed to campaign on social media this year. Candidates can promote themselves by posting things on Facebook, Twitter and other sites. Last year, students were not allowed to promote their campaign until they officially signed up for candidacy.
“I like it so much better, last year we had to monitor social media long before the election started,” said Wheeler.
The results are calculated from Internet Technology Services and Moodle. Wheeler said next year the commissioner of elections would have the ability to monitor votes as they happen.
Students had different opinions on the SG election.
James Wild, secondary math education sophomore, said “I’m only here for X amount of years, and I have other things to worry about.”
Other students like psychology senior Kasey Brock said she liked how campaign season was low key this year.
“This election is the least intrusive campaign,” Brock said. “Everyone has been cool not too pushy, and it makes you want to vote more.”
“It’s like three years of your life wrapped into one day.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Lauren Duhon

Campaign volunteers hand out flyers to students to promote The Next Step ticket Monday, March 24, 2014 on Student Government election day.