Jaleah Taylor and Laura Saavedra Forero have been named as the certified candidates for the 2024 student body president election.
The initial list of certified candidates only listed Taylor as a candidate. Saavedra Forero was originally left off the ballot by the UNC Board of Elections, but on Monday, the BOE announced it reversed its decision due to a malfunction with the technology used to check PIDs and count signatures.
Current undergraduate student body secretary, Taylor's platform aims to foster an environment where all students and student organizations can thrive at the University.
CEO and co-owner of By Immigrant Hands and former Campus Y co-president, Saavedra Forero's platform is based off of four "guiding" pillars: accessibility, radical love, community care and collective healing.
The policies included in both candidates' platforms encompass fighting food insecurity on campus, increasing University accessibility, prioritizing student mental health, improving environmental policies and addressing Greek life on campus.
Along with their role as an executive officer in the student government, the student body president also serves as an ex-officio voting member of the UNC Board of Trustees. The office serves as a voice for all undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the University.
Taylor and Saavedra Forero will meet for the final time before voting starts to discuss their candidacies at a debate hosted by Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies on Feb. 8.
Early voting will begin at midnight on Feb. 8 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 9. with election day following on Feb. 14. Students can vote on HeelLife using a pop-up banner that will appear when they log onto the platform.
The elected candidate will be sworn in later this spring, succeeding current Student Body President Chris Everett.
