The Student Government Association (SGA) presidential candidate Alyssa Stegall (21Ox, 23C) will advance to a runoff against a vote of “no confidence” after no candidate received over 50% of the vote, according to a March 25 email from the Elections Board. The runoffs will take place from March 28 at 12 p.m. to March 29 at 12 p.m.
The results were emailed to the student body Friday night after the voting period ended at 12 p.m. that day.
In total, 1,681 votes were cast in the SGA presidential election, a 26.88% decrease from last year. “No confidence” won a plurality of the vote, earning 785 (46.69%) votes. Stegall amassed 551 (32.77%) votes. Eleanor Liu (21Ox, 23B) finished last, securing 345 (20.52%) votes.
After Elisabet Ortiz (24C) was disqualified from the SGA presidential race due to her status as a gap year student, she initially stated she planned to appeal the decision to the Constitutional Council and campaigned for the student body to vote “no confidence.” In a March 19 Instagram post, Ortiz cited that although the policy was intended to prevent non-Emory students, future students or abroad students from running, it was discriminatory as “disenfranchised students such as [herself] who are in legal limbo, on medical leaves of absence, or taking time off for mental health, are barred from running.”
Later, Ortiz announced on March 21 that she decided to “step out” of the race, but still advocated for students to vote “no confidence” to “show SGA the necessity of changing its constitution to include marginalized voices.”
Stegall’s running mate, Noah Marchuck (24C), won the SGA vice presidential race, receiving 906 (53.89%) votes. While Marchuck had no opponents, “no confidence” received 775 (46.1%) votes. The vice presidential race garnered 10 less votes of “no confidence” than the presidential race.
The BBA Council presidential election will also advance to a runoff between Dani Nakash (23B), who received 159 (49.22%) votes, and Natalie Spitzer (23B), who garnered 123 (38.08%) votes. “No confidence” received 41 (12.69%) votes out of the 323 votes cast.
In total, 1,274 students voted in the College Council presidential election, which Akshat Toshniwal (23C) won with 938 (73.62%) votes. “No confidence” received 336 (26.37%) votes.
Neha Murthy (24C) won the College Council vice presidential election with 949 (74.48%) votes out of the 1,274 votes cast. “No confidence” amassed 325 (25.51%) votes.
Editor-in-Chief | Matthew Chupack (he/him, 24C) is from Northbrook, Illinois, majoring in sociology & religion and minoring in community building & social change on a pre-law track. Outside of the Wheel, Chupack serves on the Emory College Honor Council, is vice president of Behind the Glass: Immigration Reflections, Treasurer of Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society and an RA in Dobbs Hall. In his free time, he enjoys trying new restaurants around Atlanta, catching up on pop culture news and listening to country music.
