And then there were two.
Student government election primaries took place Monday, and the three student body president candidates all vied for an opportunity to move on to general elections, which start today and end Friday. Gregory J. Layton and Clint Post captured the most votes, 172 and 166, respectively, to advance, while Samuel Jamison came in third with 126 votes received.
With just six votes separating them, both top candidates acknowledged the tight race and what that might mean in the general election.
“I’m more anxious,” said Post, a senior communication major from Weiser, Idaho. “I’ve been telling people I’ll be relieved no matter what [Monday] — relieved of running or relieved [by making the general election], but as it turns out, I’m not relieved; I’m anxious.”
Layton said the primaries showed what’s in store while recounting his feelings upon seeing the results.
“It’s definitely a relief; I was a bit nervous [Monday] that I wasn’t going to be in the top two,” said Layton, a senior English major from Cottonwood Heights. “It shows that Clint is a guy who has a following, and … it shows I need to work really hard the rest of the week.”
Both Layton and Post said low voter turnout for primaries makes predicting what will happen in the general election difficult. The two candidates cited making students aware of the elections as a key point to winning.
“The biggest thing I can do to get people to support me is to get (the word) out that voting is going on and tell them how to vote because I feel like [students] just don’t know that voting is going on,” Layton said.
Post, who said he interacted with people from numerous groups on campus, said as elections wind down, he must continue building on what made him survive the primaries.
“I’d like to visit more with clubs and different departments, and just my biggest thing (is) if you feel like I’m the right candidate, then tell five of your friends,” Post said.
As the remaining candidates campaign, Jamison, a junior communication major from St. George, said the close primary election just hints at the number of students trying to make a difference at Dixie State University.
Jamison said though he came up short in the vote tally, he won’t waver in his attempts to help fellow students get the most from their experiences at DSU.
“I feel like my name is more out there now,” Jamison said. “I will do what I can to encourage people to get up and get involved in anything — athletics, the arts, clubs, you name it. I would encourage students to live to say that they experienced Dixie over just going to Dixie.”
In addition to the poll for student body president, students cast primary votes for both vice president of academics and vice president of clubs. For VP of academics, D’Andre Mathews outpolled Alex Lambson 270 to 188, and the lone candidate for VP of clubs, McKell Price, garnered 461 votes.
General elections begin today and end Friday at noon. To cast a vote, look for booths on campus or go to dixie.edu/elections.
