North Texas Daily

Linda Kessler / Staff Writer

Students voted for SGA president, vice president, and senators for their individual colleges as well as a referendum making SGA the representative of undergraduate students only as the 2015-2016 SGA election came to a close Friday.

Results were announced at 5:15 p.m. Adam Alattry and Christopher Lee were elected president and vice president, respectively, receiving 95 percent of the vote with the other 5 percent going to various write-in candidates. The referendum stating SGA will only represent undergraduate students passed 82-17 percent. Results on all the elected senators except for the College of Engineering, as results are still pending, can be found online at studentaffairs.unt.edu.

Despite the unopposed president and vice president seats, there were plenty of candidates for senators positions.

“Typically you consider it a good election, and this is nationally for institutions, if you have 3 or 4 percent of your student body participate,” assistant vice president for student affairs Melissa McGuire said.

Election coordinator and English senior Alyssa Donaldson said UNT averages just below 5 percent of student body participation in elections.

Political science freshman Mia Muric, a candidate for the College of Arts and Sciences seat, said SGA put some new efforts to increase participation this year.

“We’re trying to increase the turnout rate with a lot of personal campaigning, using the hashtag #raisetheturnout and reaching out to students,” Muric said. “It’s a lot easier and more efficient for students to vote online, and they can even do it on their phones.”

Senate elections used to be staggered, but the system was changed by referendum. Now, 45 senate seats are available every spring. Donaldson said this year there were 45 people running for those 45 seats.

All colleges have at least one senator running for the position except for the College of Information and Graduate School. However, these positions can be filled in the fall through appointment.

An opinion poll was also included in this year’s ballot asking students’ opinion on the Distinguished Lecture Series and whether they had any specific speakers in mind for the upcoming semester’s lectures.

To let students know about the election, SGA has advertised through campus-wide campaign posters, social media, and “voting booths”. At these booths in Kerr Hall Lobby and at the Pohl Recreation Center, SGA representatives with a tablet would ask students if they’ve voted, and if they hadn’t, offer them a chance to.

Muric said she believes many students don’t vote because they don’t understand what SGA does.

“We want students to vote because they want to hear someone representing them whose voice is similar to theirs,” Muric said.

Although political science junior Grant Robertstad didn’t win a seat in the College of Arts and Sciences, he said he still feels the best way to help UNT is to run for a leadership position.

“I decided to run so I could take the many ideas I have to make our university better, and actually apply them to UNT,” Robertstad said.