Students will vote in a special election this week to choose a new Student Association vice president.
Ernesto Alvarado, former vice president, was elected president in the recall elections last month, and SA is holding a special election to fill his former seat.
Six students – Maaz Memon, Phil Modrzynski, Bryan Ortiz, Juan Pereyra, Greg Robbins and Kevin Southern – are vying for the position.
'I think we have a good diversity of candidates, and students have an important choice to make … they have six good options,' said Joshua Boston, head of the SA Elections and Credentials Committee.
All six SA councils endorsed Greg Robbins. The International and Sports councils didn't have the necessary number of clubs to have a quorum, but the endorsement was still allowed.
Voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday.
Due to a scheduling conflict, the election polling places will be different each day. On Wednesday, voting booths will be in the Student Union Lobby. On Thursday, voting will take place in the Student Union Theater.
Boston isn't sure whether the location of this election will have an impact on voter turnout. However, 2,000 votes were tallied in last month's special presidential election held in the SU Theater.
Voter turnout may depend on whether the students live on or off campus, according to Alyssia Tucker, a senior marketing and cultural anthropology major.
'I'd be more likely to vote if I lived on campus because I would be closer and more involved in the UB community,' Tucker said.
Alvarado has high expectations for the future vice president. He hopes that the winner will show honesty, integrity and willingness to work hard for individual clubs and the SA as a whole. He hopes the candidate is organized and has the speaking skills necessary to relay information to the clubs.
Alvarado believes commitment is the most important qualification.
'They have to be committed to … their responsibility to the clubs and to the SA,' Alvarado said. 'I work six hours a day in the office, and work late a lot. I expect whoever wins to make that kind of commitment. That kind of commitment is necessary to make the SA successful.'
Alvarado hopes that students will do their part as well, and take part in choosing a future student government leader.
'I hope [voter turnout] is high. I hope students are able to go out and vote as much as they can,' Alvarado said. 'I hope the previous election hasn't taken a toll on students and their willingness to vote and make their voices heard.'
Alvarado added that students should find out as much about the candidates' platforms and plans as possible before voting in the elections
'Make sure you speak directly to the candidates to get all the information,' Alvarado said. 'Make sure you read into any information about the candidates to make an informed decision.'
Alvarado emphasized that no matter who wins the election; SA will continue to work for the interests of the students.
'Regardless of who wins, the SA will continue to work to provide the best services,' Alvarado said.
Jamie Root, a junior French and linguistics major, believes it is good that students get to vote for a vice president, rather than someone being appointed by the president.
'I think it's a good thing to have an election because it gives students the opportunity to see who is running and what kind of ideals they stand for, versus the president appointing someone [as vice president],' Root said.
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