Florida A&M University’s Student Senate struggled during Monday’s weekly meeting as senators tried to decide when new elections will be held for freshmen senators.
Chief Justice Titilayo Okuwa was subpoenaed by the senate to explain the decision made on the discrepancy regarding freshmen candidates for the senate that took place earlier in the semester. Okuwa entertained questions from Senate President Shanel Brown, who inquired about the decision by the Judicial branch.
“The written decisions were sent out to all parties involved and we anticipate them being loaded on to the SGA website, As far as Chapter 600 goes, it gives the process of appeals and the type of appeal. We got questioned the whole election and it requested a new election,” Okuwa said.
“Our statutes enable a new election and the students asked for it because they felt disenfranchised, The elections have to start over because of a statute. The same people can declare for candidacy, but no new people can run in the elections.”
Okuwa went on to explain that any write-ins will be able to declare themselves again.
Following the update on the elections, the senate began trying to find a date to hold them. When trying to come up with new dates for the elections, following the two-week rule, that would put the student and national elections on the same day — Nov. 3.
Student senators tried to come up with solutions, some wanting to waive the two-week rule and others wanting to hold a special election. The senate must approve elections two weeks out from declaration of candidacy.
Senator Theresa Jean Louis found early November to be the best time to vote.
“I would say to start in November that would be the safest option that we have now, unless you can shorten campaign days,” Louis said. “The freshmen have already seen the flyers, they already know who’s running.”
Senator Bria Calvin said she believed it was important to hold elections immediately. She said she was open to whatever had to be done for that to happen.
“We need new senators. We don’t have a full senate and we have a lot of decisions to make and a lot to do,” Calvin said. “We have a lot of things happening. Lets just get it done, the earliest that it could happen. I think students would want to have this election and get it over with because they have been waiting for this.”