Courtesy of Lewis & Clark ASB
As of Monday, Feb. 3, the Associated Student Body (ASB) has opened candidate nominations for a special election to fill the role of ASB president, as well as one vacant Senate seat. The role of president was left vacant this semester after former President Belle Tucker ’26 took a leave of absence. Vice President Django Sbarge ’26 is serving as interim president until an election can be completed.
According to Faculty Advisor Rocky Campbell, the ASB bylaws state that a special election should be held whenever the position of president is vacated mid-term.
“The bylaws are actually really clear,” Campbell said. “You’re required by their governing documents to do a special election.”
There are specific requirements for candidates to be eligible for the presidency. Candidates must have two semesters of experience in an elected ASB role and receive 100 signatures on a petition to be eligible to run.
Campbell also pointed out that the qualifications for this election are identical to the qualifications for standard ASB elections, and highlighted the strictness with which the elections process has abided by the requirements in the face of a fairly unprecedented situation.
“Nobody knows how to do this, so we have to look somewhere to do it,” Campbell said. “The answer is, ‘Oh, let’s go back and look at our bylaws.’ … And those have all been abided by as far as I’m aware.”
Beyond filling the role of the presidency, ASB is also running a senatorial race to fill a vacant Senate seat. Normally, the process of replacing a single senator would not warrant an election, but in this case ASB has decided to include the Senate seat in the already-mandated election.
“Normally, the process of replacing a single Senator would not dictate an entire student body election,” Campbell said. “There’s a separate process for that in the bylaws … people can apply, and the Senate just fills that (seat).”
The process Campbell described is an appointment process, which he stated could be used to fill a small number of seats. This process is in place to avoid the costs associated with running unnecessary elections. However, given that the election process is already underway, the decision was made to bundle both the Senate seat and Presidential elections into the same election period.
Reflecting on what it means to be a part of ASB, Campbell had some advice for those who seek to run for an ASB position.
“Participating in student government and serving your community is both a really meaningful and also challenging experience simultaneously,” Campbell said. “It’s a great way to be a part of your community and help us understand one another, but also be a part of building a community that you want to open. I’d encourage anyone who’s eligible to apply.”
The nomination period runs until next Monday, Feb. 10, and the election results will be released Feb. 20.
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