Hadley Bodell
Editor in Chief
With springtime comes the excitement and angst of the student government elections at Idaho State University. The Associated Students of ISU (ASISU) is a select group of officers and senators who make legislative decisions representing the student body. They work towards improvement in all areas of the university including education, clubs and extracurriculars.
Because ASISU is the student governing body, they represent all students and their concerns. They serve as the link between the students and the faculty and administration at the university, making their jobs vitally important to the health of the school.
“ASISU is the best resource on campus for students,” said Josh McCubbin, Elections Commissioner for ASISU. “If you have a problem on campus, talk to your senators.”
McCubbin says this is why it’s so important all students vote in the upcoming ASISU election.
The current filing deadline for candidates to run for office is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13. Before this deadline, students may fill out the candidate packet on the ASISU website. It’s possible for students to run a write-in campaign, but to officially be on the ballot, all paperwork must be submitted by the deadline.
Following these submissions, campaigning for parties and candidates begins. The candidates can be seen around campus, at tables in the Pond Student Union Building, and all over social media feeds. In past elections, parties have created Instagram profiles to promote themselves prior to the voting week.
Voting will open the week before ISU’s Spring Break on Monday the March 16. Students can cast a ballot through Thursday, March 19. Similar to last year, students can vote online through the MyISU portal. There will also be a mass email sent to ISU students reminding them to vote.
McCubbin said ASISU decided to leave voting open through Thursday instead of Friday because of issues with last year’s election. Voting was open through Friday in the Spring 2025 election, and when the results were contested, campus faculty was unreachable on Saturday.
To prevent any issues, the results will be announced on Thursday evening, giving the grace period of Friday should any issues occur.
Students are able to vote for the senators of the college they belong to as well as vote for the executive ticket. Current president Sky Halter and vice president Charlie Medema are running again on the executive ticket and currently sit uncontested.
Following last year’s election, Halter and Medema have prioritized cultivating a campus where ASISU supports the students. “We’re working to maximize resources, create opportunities and make ASISU be on the forefront of student life,” said Halter.
All positions voted on in the upcoming election are for the 2026-27 school year. There are two senators elected per college on the ISU campus as well as presidential-appointed director positions. Director positions within ASISU are applied for separately using Handshake after the election.
Notably, the Secretary of ASISU position is open as current secretary Eliana Madison will graduate in May. She has served as secretary for several years and helped pass important legislation.
“ISU didn’t have anything to do with sustainability until two years ago,” McCubbin said. “We passed legislation that was binding to the university and now focus on sustainable practices.”
There is a voters guide on the ASISU website where students can find more information about the upcoming election. All questions about the elections, voting or running for office can also be emailed to election@isu.edu.
The College of Pharmacy and Graduate Studies are usually the hardest to find senators for. ASISU encourages everyone to apply who is interested in running for office. Student leaders are advocates for change at the university and play an important role in policies that affect students.
“Some senators aren’t sure yet if they’re re-running for office, so we encourage all people to run,” McCubbin said. “The more diversity amongst the eligible candidates, the better.”
