Florida A&M University Student Electoral Commissioner Adrienne Floyd has stepped down from office after the Electoral Commission voted to not hold a new student body presidential election.
Floyd, a senior psychology student from Jacksonville, resigned from her post during a special Electoral Commission meeting convened on Wednesday.
The commission voted 2-8 against on a suggestion by Floyd to host a new election amid the controversy surrounding the installment of students Justin Bruno and Devin Harrison as Student Body President and Vice-President without holding an official election.
“Deciding to resign was not a form of quitting due to the backlash I have received,” said Floyd. “Despite the mere fact of what people may think, as a graduating senior it is time that I shift my focus and channel my energy to my life after FAMU.” The student senate voted to impeach Floyd for her role in the proceedings last Monday.
Floyd had originally supported a tentative verbal resolution, reached last Tuesday by SGA leaders and the university Department of Student Affairs, to hold a proper election pitting Bruno and Harrison against “None of The Above,” per the student body statutes. However, the commission did not uphold the decision.
“The commission members make their own decisions. Although, we originally agreed the first time, the commission members felt the same way for us [sic] voting based off of their interpretations of Chapter 600,” Floyd said. “If any commission member feels as though they did not want the election to go through, it reflected in their vote.”
After the commission’s vote, SGA Director Brandi Tatum sent correspondence to Student Body President and University Trustee Jaylen Smith and Student Body Vice-President Paris Ellis to vacate their offices.
“The time has now come to transition out of these roles,” Tatum said, via memorandum to Smith and Ellis. “I’m asking that you clean out your offices by Friday, Jan. 27, 2017 by 10 a.m. and return your key cards to the Joint Operations office.”
Senate President Brandon Johnson still contends that the decision was not in compliance with the laws of the Student Government Association. “At the end of all of this, the one thing that has grieved me the most is that the student body has not had their input in this matter,” Johnson said.
Ellis stated that she is not yet done with the issue. “I hope that this situation is soon rectified so students in the future don’t have to go through the same issues of the past,” Ellis said. “I personally will continue to fight for the rights of not only current students but for those who will come after me.”
The student senate is expected to once again address the issue at their weekly senate meeting on Monday at 6 p.m. in the student Senate Chambers.
Floyd stated that she will do everything to prepare the commission for the upcoming spring elections. “I will be helping the commission with things that they need set up before departing. That is the least I could do,” Floyd said. “I also feel as though the Electoral Commission and Student Government Association needs to work on their relationship regardless if I am in office or not.”
Deputy Electoral Commissioner Bria Jefferson, who was just confirmed to her role by the senate last Monday, will succeed Floyd once her resignation is official.
Due to several factors, the impending spring elections have been postponed indefinitely, according to a memo released by the Electoral Commission late Sunday evening.