A section of the Student Government Association election rules that could have caused a greater amount of runoff elections was a topic of discussion at a student senate meeting Tuesday in the Memorial Student Center.

A new proposed section of the Election Rules of the Marshall University SGA would have required leading presidential and vice presidential candidates in elections, involving more than two candidates, to have a majority of 2.5 percent of the total votes cast over the next leading candidates in order to win.

In the case of an election with only two pairs of candidates, the leading presidential and vice presidential candidates would have won an election by having the most votes from the student body without a required margin of victory.

As the election rules currently stood, apart from the proposal, leading presidential and vice presidential candidates would have won an election by having the most votes from the student body without a required margin of victory, regardless of the amount of candidates in the election.

Senators were split on the proposed required margin of victory, with some individuals saying it could lead to a greater number of runoff elections, if the percentage was not attained by candidates, requiring students to vote in another election. Some senators said this could take time away from students’ education or be an inconvenience to students.

Some supporters of the proposed margin of victory percentage said it could be beneficial to students, as some elections have been particularly close.

A motion was made for an amendment to remove the proposed section of the SGA election rules, therefore removing the margin of victory percentage, so candidates would win the election by having the most votes, unless in a tie, in which case a runoff election would occur. Discussion was closed, and the proposed section of the SGA election rules containing the margin of victory percentage is set to be removed.

The Election Rules of the Marshall University Student Government Association document, which was under revision prior to the meeting, were approved during the student senate meeting.

Filing day for the SGA elections will be Sunday, March 3.   

Jesten Richardson can be contacted at [email protected].