Spring 2024 Elections

Candidates are able to run for multiple offices. We do this to increase participation in our elections and help those most passionate about advocating for students find a space on the Board.  When a candidate runs for multiple offices, they submit a confidential ranking of their office preferences to the Elections Commission. The Commission uses that information after votes are cast to seat election winners in the office  that they ranked as their most preferred, and then count votes for other offices between the other candidates.

How does this system work? An example

• Fact Pattern: Candidate A and Candidate B are both running for President and Secretary.  They are the only two candidates running for President.  There is another candidate, C, running for Secretary.  A and B both rank the positions that they are running for as (1) President, and (2) Secretary.  

• Scenario 1: Candidate A earns the most votes for both positions.  Because Candidate A ranked President as their first choice, Candidate A would win the campaign for President.  The Secretary election is then determined by who earned the most votes, Candidate B or Candidate C.  Any votes cast for Candidate A to be the Secretary would not count.

• Scenario 2: If Candidate A ranked Secretary as their first choice and won that election (by earning more votes than either Candidate B or Candidate C), then they would win the campaign for Secretary.  Candidate B would then win the Presidency as if they ran unopposed.

As a voter, you have one (1) vote for each open office on the executive board for which you are eligible to vote. For all positions other than GPSS and Class Representatives, each UW Law student gets one (1) vote. JD candidates get two (2) votes for GPSS spots reserved for JDs and two  (2) votes for their class representatives. Graduate Students  get two  (2) votes for GPSS spots reserved for Graduated Students, and two (2) votes for graduate student representatives. Only transfer students may vote for the transfer student representative.

Voters may vote for any candidate listed on the ballot! They may also write-in any candidate they wish.  The person receiving the most votes for the office, as a traditional candidate or as a write in, will be seated so long as they are eligible to hold that office.

There are two SBA election cycles each year: fall and spring

In the Spring, the positions up for election are: President, Treasurer, Secretary, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Communications, Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, Vice President of Registered Student Organizations, Vice President of Reoccurring Programs, Vice President of Seasonal Programs, Mental Health Advocate, King County Bar Association Representative, Washington State Bar Association  Representative, American Bar Association Representative, Graduate and Professional Senate (JD Senators), 2L Class Representatives, and 3L Class Representatives.

Fall Elections are held to ensure representation on the Board for students who would not be represented if elections were held at the end of the last academic year. The positions up for fall elections are: Graduate and Professional Senate (Graduate Student Senators), Graduate Student Representatives, 1L Class Representatives, and a Transfer Student Representative.