On Thursday, May 7, 2026 Student Forum opened a Google Form for students to cast their votes for their 2026-2027 class representatives. The race began at the end of April, when petition forms were disbursed via email to all students, requiring 80 signatures for eligibility to be included on the ballot. Positions were open for Class President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer for the classes of 2027, 2028, and 2029. Candidates were finalized on May 4, 2026, when completed petitions were due.
The rank-choice format was used on the ballot, allowing students to rank candidates based on their preferences for each position. Rank-choice voting allows for leaders to be appointed based on their support from the greatest number of voters. The candidate ranked first was the individual student’s choice for Class President, second for Vice President, and third for Secretary/ Treasurer.
Congratulations are in order for all newly elected officers and those who were re-elected.
For the class of 2027, Grace Furtado ‘27 was elected Class President, Samuel Dickinson ‘27 was elected Vice President, and Veer Kundalia ‘27 was re-elected secretary/treasurer. The voter participation rate reached 28 percent, identical to last year’s participation rate for the class of 2027.
The class of 2028 elected Samantha Fenigstein ‘28 Class President after serving as Vice President the previous year, and Hasna Sayed ‘28 Vice President. The results have not yet been settled for a Secretary/ Treasurer. The voter participation rate landed slightly lower than the class of 2027, at 24 percent.
First-year representation operates slightly differently than for the other classes, as three first-year representatives were elected in the fall to serve for the remainder of the academic year, then re-elected for the following year in the spring along with the other classes. The class of 2029 elected Hilary Payano ‘29 Class President, Nathan Lowney ‘29 Vice President, and Imanuel Pantow ‘29 Secretary/Treasurer. The class’ voter participation rate was markedly higher than the rest of Union’s classes, at 35 percent.
The voter participation rate across classes is noticeably low. Ariela de la Villa-Irizarry ‘27, who contemplated running for Student Forum herself, emphasizes the importance of engaging in Student Forum elections. “I think it’s important for people to get involved in deciding who is representing their class,” she says. “At the end of the day, we want people who are committed to advocate for us as individuals and as a class.” Hopefully in future elections, methods can be implemented to encourage voter participation to ensure the maximum amount of student input is received.
All officers will serve the following academic year to make important institutional decisions for the college. The body plays a crucial role in oversight of club and organization operations, for example, managing student activity funds to be allocated to clubs and organizations. Students across Union’s campus are excited to see their representatives in action during the 2026-2027 school year.
