ASMSU’s presence has been prevalent on campus, in the Union and different residence halls, allowing students to vote and ask questions about the student government and the voting process.
Here is a breakdown of what students will be voting on:
College representative candidates
There are candidates running for 10 of the 14 undergraduate colleges in this year’s election.
ASMSU President Kiran Samra said the College of Social Science and James Madison College historically are the most contested seats.
In the past, the College of Arts and Letters, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and the College of Nursing usually have not had representation.
For colleges with no candidates running, the ballot has empty boxes for write-in candidates.
But there is still a policy on write-ins candidates, requiring them to fill out a write-in candidacy agreement form before the start of elections.
ASMSU tax referendum
ASMSU collects an $18 tax every year from undergraduate students in order to fund the organization and to fund the services it provides.
$16.75 of the tax directly goes to ASMSU and $1.25 goes to the MSU Readership Program.
The $16.75 tax and the $1.25 tax for the readership program are voted on separately, allowing students to decide to choose to either renew both taxes, one or the other.
Even if the tax is renewed, students always have the option of getting their money individually refunded from ASMSU.
Student Allocations Board
The first part of the constitutional amendment would allow for ASMSU to change its structure and merge three separate funding boards into one: the Student Allocations Board.
This board would handle applications and funding for student organizations, such as those under the Council of Racial and Ethnic Students and the Council of Progressive Students, in addition to the recently-created Research Board.
The basis for the merge of the funding boards is to facilitate a simpler method for student groups to seek funding.
The merge would make it easier for students to apply for funding from the student government instead of going through a longer process through different boards, said Domonique Clemons, ASMSU vice president for student funding. Students will be able to vote on whether they are in favor of creating the new board.
Aligning funds with the university
The second part of the constitutional amendment is to revise the no-longer applicable language pertaining to ASMSU’s previous status as its own self-standing non-profit organization.
ASMSU previously decided to align their funding with the university providing for more tax-exemption and for the organization to come under MSU’s insurance policies.
Students can vote whether they agree to change the language in the constitution.
ASMSU has already made the decision to align with the university; the amendment would only be addressing a language change and not any part of ASMSU’s funding.
