Only 18% Voted! You Won't Believe Who Took Charge in the Shockingly Controversial Student Government Elections!

On April 10, the Student Government Association (SGA) at Brown University announced the results of its spring 2026 elections in front of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center. This year, the elections saw approximately 18% of the student body participating, translating to 1,304 votes. This turnout represents a modest increase from last year’s 16%, which was noted as the lowest turnout rate since at least 2022.

Standing atop the Faunce steps, President of the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) Talib Reddick ’26 and Chair of the Undergraduate Finance Board (UFB) Naomi LeDell ’26 announced the newly elected officials. For the UCS, Ariel Shifrin ’27 was elected president, with Meruka Vyas ’28 serving as vice president. Other key positions included Jeremiah Brenot ’29 as chair of academic affairs, Balázs Cserneczky ’28 as chair of campus life, Sabrina Ginger Liu ’28 as chair of health and wellness, and Inderjot Nijjar ’29 as chair of student activities.

Shifrin expressed his intention to develop “a new vision” for the UCS, emphasizing outreach to student leaders and the preparation of recruitment materials. He has identified his top priority as ensuring that the UCS's applicant pool is “passionate about serving the student body and upholding the values of DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). He also encouraged students to share their insights on enhancing “the Brown experience.”

Vyas described her “journey towards governance” as deeply personal, asserting that leadership is significant not just symbolically but in terms of “real impact.” With two years of experience in the UCS, she aims to strengthen campus connections, particularly with student groups that may not currently feel engaged with the UCS. Her priorities include making the UCS a more representative body, advocating for “more transparency and student involvement” in campus security changes, and supporting international students.

For the UFB, Aidan Lu ’27 was appointed chair, while Teo Miranda-Moreno ’29 will serve as vice chair. The UFB will also include nine representatives: Cameron Berry ’29, Sam Challú ’29, Suhani Garg ’28, Annabelle Kim ’27, Nicholas Prior ’28, Emily Tran ’29, Nick Vince ’29, Daniel Zhao ’27, and Kelly Ding ’29, a senior staff writer for The Herald. Miranda-Moreno aims to establish a “positive and reliable reputation” for the UFB, focusing on increasing accountability and transparency in club funding decisions as well as streamlining the UFB’s club re-categorization process.

The election also resulted in a newly elected Class Council Board (CCB) for the rising senior class, with Bryson Boone ’27 and Ava Stamatakis ’27 taking on the roles of co-presidents. Other CCB members include Vice President Alex Lim ’27, Treasurer Soniya Chawla ’27, Secretary Katie Marie Pham ’27, Public Relations Officer Irene Kim ’27, and Communications Officer Griffin Cherniss ’27. For the class of 2028, Soliyana Belay was elected CCB president, supported by Vice President Ben Hader ’28, Treasurer Luca Feng ’28, Secretary Veda Dayananda ’28, Public Relations Officer Crystal Wu ’28, and Communications Officer Hee La Sophia Mun ’28. The class of 2029 elected Vanessa Finder as president, with Sophie Sun as vice president, Kaushik Nidigattu as treasurer, Josiah De Paz as public relations officer, Scarlett Chang as communications officer, and Andrés Newman as secretary.

The election cycle began with two information sessions, during which candidates had to gather 50 signatures from the student body to qualify. This year’s elections also included a candidate debate, expanding from previous years to offer all candidates a platform to present their platforms to the student body. Elections Chair Summer Tullai ’27 acknowledged that student engagement remains a challenge in the electoral process, expressing hope to expand auxiliary events like the debate in the future.

LeDell, who has served as UFB chair for the past two election cycles, reflected on the changes in the election process, noting that previous candidates lacked opportunities to communicate their objectives effectively. “I think every election matters,” she said, indicating her ongoing efforts to enhance visibility and understanding of the elections among students.