A Student Government campaign doesn’t come cheap.
Campaigning is costing the “Making It Happen” ticket $8,500 and the “In Focus” ticket between $6,000 and $7,000.
Presidential and vice presidential candidates can only spend $1,000 together. University Court and Union Governing Board candidates can spend no more than $500. All other candidates — college council and senate candidates — can each spend $300.
A ticket raises money by charging candidates to run on it and also accepting donations.
Most of the money driving the “Making It Happen” campaign came from donations, said presidential candidate Michelle Gieg.
Commissioner of Elections Devin Reid said the maximum amount a ticket can spend is the combination of the limit each person on it can spend — an amount that could be more than $20,000.
The “Making It Happen” ticket consists of 80 candidates. The ticket could spend $26,000 if each candidate spent his maximum.
But in the past two elections, Reid said no candidates have come close to spending their maximum amount.
To ensure candidates follow these rules, they are required to submit a report to the election board of all the money they spent and that has been donated to them.
Reid said tickets usually pool their money together and divide it evenly among all the candidates.
Gieg said candidates on the “Making It Happen” ticket paid $60 to run. She said the price is about $5 more than past campaigns because “Making It Happen” is doing more than usual to campaign off campus, like making yard signs.
Hattaway said his ticket charged candidates $55 to run.
Both Gieg and Hattaway said their campaigns spent the most money on individual candidate signs and push cards. Candidate signs are the signs on bulletin boards in classrooms that list candidates’ names and the offices they are running for. Push cards are paper cards with campaign issues that candidates give out to students.
Last year’s presidential and vice presidential winners spent less than either ticket has this year.
President Brad Golson and Vice President Jenny Byrd spent about $2,700 on their campaign.
Golson said his campaign was inexpensive compared to other campaigns because the campaign colors were black and white, which reduced printing costs.
The time and money spent on campaigning is “without a doubt” worth it, Golson said.
The “L.S.You” ticket — comprised of only a presidential and vice presidential candidate — is not spending money on its campaign.
Jonathan Harb, “L.S.You” presidential candidate, told The Daily Reveille in a previous interview that campaigns should not be driven by money.
“You shouldn’t have to buy your office,” Harb said.