Elections for the undergraduate Student Association president and Senate for the 2026-27 year will be held simultaneously from Sept. 14 to 18.
Any full-time undergraduate can run for either the presidential role or one of the 12 Senate seats, or both. Candidates can only take one position.
Candidates need 50 signatures from current undergraduates to qualify for the Senate elections, and 100 for the presidential seat. Signatures from both petitions can overlap.
SA Treasurer Laron Fomby announced the dates during Friday afternoon’s informational session on supplemental funding.
The special 2026-27 presidential election comes after Jack Koscinski — who won the seat with 1,357 votes last spring — resigned late July after his e-board accused him of misconduct during his 2025-26 term as treasurer along with financial mismanagement and attempted fraud during his first weeks as president.
SA bylaws mandate a president be chosen within 28 days from the start of the fall semester.
Na’Dia Carter, who was elected as vice president for advocacy, is acting president.
The two elections, along with the referendum on the $109 mandatory activity fee, are being held at the same time to prevent voters and SA staff from being overwhelmed with back-to-back elections, Fomby told The Spectrum.
SA serves as the undergraduate student government, operating with a $4.5 million budget funded by the $109 mandatory student activity fee. That budget is a major source of funding for undergraduate events and organizations, and SA — especially its e-board and Senate — acts as an advocate for the student body.
SA presidents receive a $19,500 annual stipend.
Petitions for both elections will open Monday, Aug. 24.
The Spectrum will be conducting Q&As with the candidates.
Mylien Lai is the editor-in-chief at The Spectrum. Outside of getting lost in Buffalo, she enjoys practicing the piano and being a bean plant mom. She can be found at @mylien.lai on Instagram.
