Students scale the rock-climbing wall at the Cal State Fullerton Student Recreation Center. Funding for the facility is part of the ASI budget, which is allocated by representatives elected in student government elections.

The annual CSUF ASI elections for student president, vice president and board of directors will be held March 15 through 17. Elections Commissioner Jesenya Magana ’16 discusses the importance of voting and updates to the elections process.

It may not be the race for the White House, but there is a lot at stake in Cal State Fullerton’s student government elections. With an $8.8 million expense budget, the president, vice president and board of directors of Associated Students Inc. (ASI) help determine the use of fees students pay each semester, represent students as advisors and advocates on various committees, and coordinate extracurricular events. Initiatives and activities funded by the ASI budget include each of the eight college-specific inter-club councils, including Mihaylo’s Business Inter-Club Council, the Children’s Center, scholarships and Cal State Fullerton’s state-of-the-art Student Recreation Center.

“As a student, you are already a part of ASI by paying your fees,” says Elections Commissioner Jesenya Magana ’16. “By voting, you are doing your job as an engaged Titan by taking action on many important decisions.” Magana, a public relations major, oversees a team of four students charged with increasing awareness and event planning for this year’s elections.

Members of the 2016 ASI election team. From left to right, Elections Assistant Christy Le ’18 (public administration), Kaitlynne Kim ’17 (biology), Demetri Herrera ’18 (political science), Katia Villanueva ’17 (management-human resources) and Elections Commissioner Jesenya Magana ’16 (public relations).

“ASI has been working to make the elections process more representative of our student body,” she says. This year, students will be able to vote for two representatives from their college for the board of directors. Previously, students elected one member, with the runner-up receiving the second spot on the board. To increase voter turnout among students with non-traditional schedules, online voting will now be available continuously from March 15 at 8 a.m. to March 17 at 8 p.m. On-site polling stations also will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during each of the three days.

Vote and Win a Parking Permit or Concert Tickets

Students will have the chance to enter a contest for a free parking permit for the fall 2016 semester and tickets to ASI’s Spring Concert by receiving an “I Voted” sticker at the physical polling locations and uploading an image that includes the sticker.

To learn more about the candidates seeking to represent Mihaylo College on the board of directors, students may attend a debate on March 7 at noon at the Quad. A presidential debate will be held at the Quad on March 9 at noon.

For more information, contact Magana and the elections team at [email protected].