Primary elections over, ASMSU preps for generals

On April 2-3, MSU students voted in the Associated Students of MSU (ASMSU) primary election to determine which two executive candidate pairs would move on to the general election, which will be held on April 16-17. According to the updated general elections candidate list, the two pairs moving forward are Jacob Zink and Bailey Jones, and Zane Horst and Josey Blazer. 

According to the election’s timeline on the MSU website, the general election will start at 8 a.m. on April 16 and end at 5 p.m. on April 17. In the general election, students will vote on their student senators and choose one of the two remaining candidate pairs to serve as ASMSU’s president and vice president for the 2024-25 academic year.  

“A total of 1,909 students cast ballots, a voter turnout of 12 percent,” according to an article from the MSU news service following the 2023-24 ASMSU election.

 “We usually get around 12 to 13 percent when it's just like a typical traditional election,” Melissa Ramirez, the current ASMSU vice president and senior political science major said. “For a lot of our sister campuses who we compare ourselves to, our turnout is pretty standard.”

As shown in the election timeline, there are still four electoral events left before votes are due, the first being “Votes and Totes” on April 11 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Centennial Mall. 

“Votes and Totes is an opportunity for our Senate candidates to talk to voters. We will have totes and fabric markers all laid out. And students can come do whatever they want on their tote and take it with them,” ASMSU Elections Director and senior majoring in management Brynne Finstad said.

After “Votes and Totes,” the next big event is the “ASMSU General Debate” on April 15 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Union Market in the Strand Union Building. “Where the primary debate was more about what candidates are broadly hoping to do, the general debate is a deep dive into what candidates actually are going to advocate for, and where the money is going to go,” Finstad said.

“The general elections start at 8 a.m. on April 16, and go until 5 p.m. on April 17. So if you have someone specific in mind that you want to support, then those are the times to do it,” he said.

To view the full election timeline and to find detailed information on each candidate’s platform, visit https://www.montana.edu/asmsu/programs/civic-engagement/elections.html.