On Tuesday, students will vote in homecoming elections, comprised of homecoming court and Mr. and Miss Ole Miss. This year is different. For the first time, students will also elect a homecoming king.
The Associated Student Body voted to add a homecoming king to the homecoming ballot, but decided last year to delay the introduction of homecoming king elections until 2019. ASB Attorney General Austin Fiala released a statement in 2018, writing that the Office of the Attorney General agrees with the ASB Senate Standing Committee on the delay.
“We believe that a Homecoming King election this fall would create an unequal playing field as members of the student body, and hopeful candidates alike, would be required to operate on a shortened timeline,” Fiala’s statement said.
The announcement for the delay of introducing homecoming king elections came just a few days after 2017-2018 ASB President Dion Kevin III vetoed the bill to instate a Homecoming King election.
“By holding the inaugural election of a Homecoming King in the fall of 2019, all eligible students will have an equal amount of time to consider running, to prepare a campaign team, and to garner a support network for their candidacy in the time leading up to campaign season,” the statement read.
The candidates for homecoming king are seniors Carl Tart and Park Shull.
