On Sept. 14, the Brandeis Fall 2026 Student Union election cycle began, as candidate biographies were shared with the student body. This year, interest seems to have risen amongst freshmen. The Student Union works in three sections, which consist of the Senate, Executive board and Allocations board. The Executive board only has one opening for the position of Chief Judicial Officer and two students, Ramond Cao ’27 and Fairooz Abida ’28, have announced their candidacy.  Both candidates gave a brief about their experience and why they would best fit the role. The Allocations board also has two open Allocation seats. For this position, only one candidate, Elena Staples ’28, has been mentioned. The Student Union also offers students to put “write-in” nominations for certain positions, which allows individuals to vote for someone else at the time of ballots. The remaining positions for Class of 2027 and Class of 2028 will be chosen based on write-ins only since there were no candidates that applied during this election. 

This year, a flood of candidates is running for the Class of 2030 Senator position with nine candidates and only three available seats. Each candidate shared their reason for running and what they aim to do in the capacity of senator if elected. Sophia Park ’30 wrote that she will try to “turn our school community into a home,” approaching students with a sense of belonging. Along the same lines, Trente Xian Newman ’30 said his focus “will be on working for our community, and making that community work for you.” Aj Lawrence ’30 aims to bring her experience with intersectionality and multi-faceted approaches and “Vow[s] to ensure a first-year experience that represents ALL of us.” Tyler Parshay ’30 shared he plans to “put up QR codes in common underclassman spaces that link you to a survey where feedback can be taken about your important experiences as a first-year student.” Julia Velasco ’30 plans to implement something similar by launching a ‘R.U.N campaign,’ planning to “Represent, Unite, and Navigate Brandeis for the Class of 2030.” The other candidates echoed these hopes and aspirations, each bringing their own experience and promises. 

There are three more titles open for senate candidates, including the Senator at Large, which holds three candidate positions and three candidates. The Multicultural Senator position has only one available seat and one candidate, Mariah Martinez ’29. Lastly, the MKAP Senator position, open to students part of the Myra Kraft Achievers Program, has two candidates. Both candidates presented their vision if elected and how they aim to serve the Brandeis community. 

The Student Union allows voters to opt between the candidates, add a write-in name or place a vote of no confidence, meaning that they don't approve of any candidate running for the election. Students are encouraged to vote for these candidates as they will be representing the larger student body on broader University matters.