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After run-off vote, McDonald declared SGA President

After a run-off election on Thursday, April 10, Emily McDonald was declared the SGA presidential race winner for the 2014-2015 school year.          

According to voting data, voter turnout for this re-voting totaled nearly 20 percent of students, mirroring Tuesdays voting at around the same percentage.

“I am really excited that students were out there voting,” said newly elected Emily McDonald. “I really hope that students will have a better understanding of what SGA can do through the elections. I know that students might have been annoyed by having two elections, but I think, ultimately, we did the best we could.”

The run-off election on April 10 was conducted due to the fact that none of the SGA presidential candidates had received a majority vote as stipulated by Article VII, Section 3, Subsection A of the current SGA Constitution.

“If no candidate receives a majority of the votes on the first ballot, a run-off election will be held between the two candidates receiving the largest plurality. The candidate receiving the most votes shall then be declared elected,” according to the SGA Constitution.

Kyle Bieze and Emily McDonald held the highest percentages of the four candidates after the referendum on Tuesday, and were asked to run again in a second battle of the ballots on Thursday, April 10.

Candidates Shabir Bhegani and Roy West additionally ran for the office of SGA president.

“This is the first time, in at least recent history, that  Student Government has had a run-off election,” said Kyle Bieze, presidential candidate.

After taking a quick look at the election results, McDonald said, “Some goals I have would be, for sure, to bridge the gap between senators and the students they represent, because there is definitely an issue in communication, because students right now don’t know who to go to if they are having issues.”

“Congratulations. I know she and I stood for a lot of similar things,” Bieze said upon hearing the results. “I hope it goes well for her.”

In the first round of voting, current SGA President Clay Stubblefield announced Emily McDonald winner of the presidential vote, along with Daniel Tribble as Vice President, Will Gableman as treasurer and Kellie Collins the new secretary for the coming year. 

“I will more than likely still be apart of the Senate, as long as nothing goes terribly wrong with next week’s Senator elections.” Bieze said. “I ran for the benefit of the student body and I plan to do that in the Senate.”