Syracuse University’s Student Association will continue to hold 2020 elections through MySlice as SU switches to online classes.

Voting will open April 13, and candidates will continue campaigning online and through social media, said David Bruen, chair of SA’s board of elections and membership.

“We’re working to make a more uniform process so every candidate gets an opportunity to speak to the student body,” Bruen said. “We’re thinking of sending out an email with an informational guide on all the candidates and what they have to offer.”

SU announced March 16 that it would transition to online classes for the remainder of the semester in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 378,000 and killed at least 16,000 worldwide. There have been at least 53 confirmed cases in Onondaga County.

Two campaigns for SA president and vice president launched before the university switched to online classes. Justine Hastings and Ryan Golden announced their candidacy for president and vice president Feb. 17, and Morgan Eaton and David Williams joined the race Feb. 27.

Junior Julio Burgos announced his candidacy for SA Comptroller on Monday.

Both campaigns for SA president and vice president plan to continue campaigning through their respective Instagram accounts, and will use platforms such as OrgSync and Zoom to communicate virtually with registered student organizations, Hastings and Williams said.

“It’s so important even during this time of global pandemic and crisis that people do take the time to try and calm down and realize what will be important when we get back to campus,” Bruen said.

SA is working to establish a digital platform to host a debate between the candidates, Bruen said. It will take the same format as previous debates, with moderators asking the candidates individual questions, Bruen said.

Bruen’s goal since the beginning of his term has been to bring about 25% of voters to this spring’s election, he said. SA elections have had a historically low voter turnout, with numbers often below 20%, he said.

“Although students won’t be constantly reminded in person and on campus, hopefully our digital outreach will have enough of an impact to keep the turnout high,” Bruen said.

The voting platform on MySlice is simple, and should not take students more than a minute to cast their votes, he said.

Bruen said he hopes students stay engaged with the SA election even as they depart SU for the semester.

“We’ve seen in the past two semesters how vastly important it is to have student leadership on a wide array of issues,” Bruen said. “This will decide in Student Association what the leadership will be for the next year and will have more impacts and more ripple effects than we can even imagine.”

Published on March 23, 2020 at 11:50 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu