By running as write-in candidates, students who were not selected as finalists by the Young Trustee Nominating Committee can seek election to the prestigious position.
Last Saturday, the YTNC selected seniors Matt Davis, Ben Getson and Michelle Sohn as finalists for the election after a two-step process consisting of a review of applications and interviews. But Duke Student Government bylaws permit write-in candidates to campaign for office provided they follow the same rules as qualified candidates, though they may not receive funding for their campaign.
Write-in candidates, which include senior and Young Trustee semi-finalist Brooke Kingsland, are bound in their campaigns by normal election rules, and therefore they are qualified to receive endorsements, DSG Attorney General Ryan Clark, a junior, wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. Although he does not have voting power, Clark chairs the Board of Elections, which consists of seven undergraduate voting members and will oversee the election. Campaigning for the Young Trustee election began Tuesday, however, the Board of Elections is still trying to fill two of its positions. Applications are not due until Friday.
“I don’t think we should eliminate the possibility for a write-in,” said DSG Executive Vice President Pete Schork, a junior who has played an advising role during the process. “[If there is] enough grassroots support for a candidate to bypass the formal selection process.... I don’t know any bylaw change would be necessary except maybe to strengthen the provision for what happens when there is a write-in candidate.”
One of the eight semi-finalists selected by the YTNC is currently campaigning despite not being chosen as a finalist. Although her name will not appear on the ballot, Kingsland is campaigning for Young Trustee as a write-in candidate.
She said she considered running as a write-in candidate even before the YTNC selected the official finalists and has created a Facebook page and website to spread the news about her platform.
“Multiple people either individually or collectively approached me to start a write-in campaign,” Kingsland said. “I felt overwhelming support from the beginning.”
The participation of a write-in candidate could potentially complicate the electoral process. For example, Schork said it is unclear if a misspelling of a write-in candidate’s name would count toward his or her vote total, adding that the decision lies with the Board of Elections.
It is also currently unclear whether Kingsland—or write in candidates in general—will be able to participate in the upcoming Young Trustee public debate since there are no provisions for this case, Schork said.
“That’s actually something we haven’t decided,” he said. “I would say, most likely no because [write-in candidates don’t] have a formal candidacy.... It’s something we’ll have to talk about and decide.”
Despite potential complications, Schork said Kingsland’s write-in campaign has played out “exactly as intended” by the DSG bylaws.
YTNC Chair Christine Larson, a sophomore, declined to comment Wednesday on Kingsland’s campaign and how it may affect the legitimacy of the YTNC. She said she would meet with Kingsland before commenting.
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