S.A. May Introduce Joint Presidential Ticket

Yesterday the Student Assembly Elections Committee presented its Spring 2009 Election Rules to the S.A., which may revise policy to make candidates for S.A. president and vice president run on a joint presidential ticket.
In February, the S.A. amended its charter to include direct elections for president and vice president, and instructed the elections committee to draft a proposal. Yesterday the committee presented it framework for direct elections, with the addition to combine the presidential and vice presidential tickets. Although all other Ivy League schools have direct presidential elections, only Harvard institutes a joint ticket.
Mike McDermott ’09, director of elections for the S.A., said the proposed joint ticket would “allow for stability on the S.A.”
The S.A. plans to discuss the changes on Dec. 4. Although the S.A. cannot remove direct presidential elections from the proposed changes, it can remove or amend the requirement for the joint ticket.
“I believe that [the S.A.] will approve the changes by not without a long and necessary discussion.”
Under the proposed rules, a student running for president must be on a joint ticket with a student running for vice-president. The candidates also must run as undesignated at-large representatives, meaning that an individual who loses a presidential or vice presidential bid can still win an at-large seat.
If the changes are adopted, the revised rules will go into effect for the Spring 2009 elections.