The Student Association (SA) special election was held on Wednesday, in which students voted on a new executive vice president (EVP), SA constitution changes and whether the student activity fee should remain mandatory.

Troy Parker, a sophomore majoring in political science, won the election with a 54.83 percent majority. He received 670 votes in total, while his opponent, Jeremy Rosenberg, received 414 votes, making up 33.88 percent.

In his platform, Parker expressed his interest in keeping up with the EVP office’s current initiatives while also being available to the student body. Parker has been an assistant to the EVP, a member of the constitutional review committee and a Newing College representative for SA Congress.

Parker said he was pleased with his win, and said he plans to continue the EVP office’s efforts as well as tie up loose ends as the semester comes to a close.

“I’d like to say thank you to the Binghamton students for electing me EVP,” Parker said. “I hope to continue the great work Zach [Vigliani] and Naomi [Barnett] have started and end this year on a good note for the SA. My goals are to finish new policies coming out of the office, make the ITC process more transparent and continue the communication with SA organizations to fostering their growth.”

Naomi Barnett, the interim EVP and a senior double-majoring in English and business administration, said that Parker’s experience will be an asset to the office.

“Troy has been an assistant in the office since August, and has been especially invested in writing new legislation for the SA,” she said. “Having a hand in the Intent to Charter process has given him a wealth of knowledge regarding the process, which he can use in the final months as a few groups become SA-chartered organizations. I’m looking forward to working closely with Troy through the re-registration process and the approval of the legislation that has been developed by the EVP office throughout the year.”

Voters also cast ballots in favor of or against the $99 student activity fee. An 82.44 percent majority opted to keep the fee mandatory going into next year. The student activity fee helps to fund the SA and its dependent branches, such as Harpur’s Ferry, Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) and SA-chartered student groups.

Voter participation for the interim election was lower than past elections, with 1,222 students participating. This means that 1,164 students determined the requirements of a fee that affects every undergraduate student’s tuition.

Julie Kline, chair of the planning, research and elections committee and a junior double-majoring in English and human development, said that regardless of voter numbers, the passing of the student activity fee was extremely important for the SA’s success as a whole.

“The fee really does enable the SA to support the student body,” Kline said. “Its passing ensures that programs will continue to be funded going forward, and that the SA can continue planning for next year.”