Every January, MCPS high school sophomores and juniors have the opportunity to file for candidacy for Student Member of the Board (SMOB), a position as one of eight members of the Montgomery County Board of Education. “Candidates can nominate themselves or be nominated by [any] MCPS student in grades 6-12,” Special Elections Administrator and Blair student Sabrina Cauton, who oversees the election, explained.
To run, students must submit a formal SMOB Nomination Form to the Special Elections Committee of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (MCR-SGA). Nominations are due this Thursday, January 22, at 4pm. Candidates must then attend a mandatory meeting on January 26, where they will review election regulations and receive official candidate photos.
Although four people have reportedly filed already, there is still time for students to declare their candidacies. For those who would prefer to watch the 2015 SMOB election from the sidelines, Cauton had an additional message: “I can’t wait to see what this year’s race has in store for us! I’d like to encourage all MCPS students to be educated voters and try not to fall asleep during the Meet the Candidates video.”
Article by the MoCo Student MCPS news staff.
Graphic by MoCo Student staff artist Jason King.