It's off to the races for the 2026 Eastern Michigan University Student Government election.
EMU students in good academic and judicial standing have two weeks to collect enough signatures to appear on the ballot before voting begins March 25, 2026. Senatorial candidates will need to collect 50 signatures, and presidential tickets will need to collect 300 by Feb. 16. Constitutional referenda will also need to be submitted to Election Commissioner Max Butler by that date.
EMU Student Government is allocated a budget by the university that can be used to fund student organizations and student services. Once elected, they have the power to represent the student body in discussions with the university administration. Jack Booth, the outgoing Student Government president, recently served on the search committee that selected incoming university President Brendan Kelly. In recent years, Student Government elections at EMU have consistently been decided by less than 10 percent of the student body due to low voter turnout.
"This is a complicated time in history," Butler told The Eastern Echo in an email Feb. 4. "Many people feel they should be doing something but aren’t sure how. I don’t think you need a perfect plan from the outset to have a genuine desire to drive change."
Until Feb. 23, candidates are only allowed to campaign electronically and verbally, according to the current Student Government bylaws. Active campaigning is forbidden until then, meaning students cannot campaign with printed or written materials in the meantime.
Read more: Student government operations gear up for the 2026 election cycle - The Eastern Echo
"Most of our senators are running for some position, and some of our executive board members will be as well," Butler said when asked about candidates who were currently running. Butler said the upcoming start of active campaigning will provide more details about candidates and their platforms.
Vice President Nina Freeman, who told The Echo last year that she intended to run for president, recently announced her candidacy on Instagram with Student Government Director of Student Services Eva Orlich as her running mate. In the comments of the announcement post, EMU College Democrats President Joe Garris said he endorsed the ticket. Booth told The Echo in December that Freeman would be receiving his endorsement as well.
Mirna Shehab and Yasrib Farook have also joined the race. Farook, who is running for the presidential position, currently serves as the EMU Student Government Speaker of the Senate.
"People often fear how they’ll be perceived, and much doesn't get done because of it," Butler said. "Whether that is running for election or something completely irrelevant, I believe it’s the willingness to be seen beginning that matters most."
Later this month on Feb. 19, a candidate meeting will be held in Room 352 of the Student Center, according to the election timeline. A candidate forum for presidential and vice presidential candidates will also be held in that room March 18, with a forum for write-in candidates the day after.
Additional information and guidelines regarding the Student Government election can be found on the organization's website and bylaws. Butler can be reached by email at dbutle42@emich.edu.
