DSG race set for possible runoff

To be continued.

Juniors Taylor Collison and Matthew Slovik will most likely face each other in a runoff for president of Duke Student Government after spring break.

In Tuesday's race, Slovik received a 6.49 percent plurality over Collison, about 3.5 percent shy of the plurality required for a presidential candidate to win the election. Although a 6 percent plurality would have been enough for Slovik to win the presidency outright in the past, a new amendment to the election bylaw passed last month by the DSG legislature requiring that a presidential candidate receive a 10 percent plurality to avoid a runoff--now scheduled for Tuesday, March 18.

Following the certification of electoral results, Collison and Slovik met with several current DSG executive members late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, although they would not comment on the topic of their discussion.

Collison said that an arrangement to split the presidency with Slovik was not under consideration, but he declined to comment on the possibility of one of the candidates withdrawing from the race to take a high-level position in the administration of the other.

"Matt and I had a lot of the same issues, and we wanted to make sure that what we were fighting for doesn't get lost," Collison said. "It would be too bad if and when one of us loses that the issues and groups that we're fighting for were pushed aside."

Slovik described the early-morning discussions as "just talking," adding that the runoff will occur as scheduled "as of now."

This year's candidates and issues apparently attracted interest from the student body, as more students turned out to vote than in any previous DSG election. A record-breaking 3,499 students voted, about 57.36 percent of the undergraduate population.

Sophomore Andrew Wisnewski won in the uncontested race for vice president for community interaction.

Candidates have until 9 p.m. Wednesday evening to file any complaints regarding the election and its results.

Both Collison and Slovik were happy with the results and looked toward a possible runoff.

"I'm going to enjoy life and continue to show the people who voted for me and those that didn't why I think I'll do the best job representing the student body," Slovik said. "Whatever the outcome, the president will have a mandate to govern.... I appreciate everyone who came out and supported me today, who voted with the understanding that I was the strongest, most experienced candidate who will make the biggest difference for the student body."

Collison was also pleased, adding that he did not want a runoff to interfere with his close friendship with Slovik.

"I had thought about the outcomes of the election, and I was pleased to see that Matt and I would be the ones running," Collison said. "Matt is a great candidate. I think both of us have a similar agenda.... There are now two candidates in the race [who] one year from now will make DSG the organization that it should be."

The election commission plans to meet Wednesday evening to finalize the rules for the next election, Fagan said. If Collison and Slovik face a runoff, each would be allowed to use any leftover funds from their previous presidential campaigns to advertise.

DSG bylaws state that a runoff must be held within five school days of the first election. Fagan said the election commission chose to hold the runoff Tuesday, March 18, to address any complaints that might arise and to make sure the maximum number of students would be present on campus to vote before or after spring break.

He added that DSG would send out a campus-wide e-mail to inform students of the runoff election.