NIDs could be replaced for elections

Using student Network IDs to gain signatures to run in Student Government Association elections could become as obsolete as dial-up Internet.

The SGA Senate has noticed a growing trend of students not knowing their own NIDs.

When asked for them, students will often write their PID or a series of random numbers on petition forms for would-be SGA candidates.

When students provide incorrect or irrelevant information on candidates' forms it renders the entire signature invalid and prevents the Elections Committee and Student Government advisers from being able to verify the authenticity of students who claim to be enrolled.

"This issue was brought to my attention by a student who kept getting unsolicited PIDs on his form instead of NIDs," said Andrew Proia, SGA attorney general, who wrote the opinion about NIDs becoming obsolete. "He wanted to know if the signatures could be counted as valid with the PIDs."

According to the election statutes, candidates running for senate are required to file a petition with the signatures and NIDs of 50 students enrolled in their college or 25 signatures from students enrolled with undecided majors, if running for an undeclared position.

Candidates running for the presidential ticket must file a petition form with 500 signatures.
In order for a candidate to qualify to run, the petition form must be completed with the required number of signatures and be proven valid with each signature containing an accompanying printed name and NID.

Candidates are having to gather more signatures than the required number in the hopes that by doing so they will have secured enough  to qualify.

"Petition forms have 25 signature spots," Joshua Miller, senate president pro tempore, said. "Technically you should only need to use two forms. I had to use eight or nine for mine. People would write their PIDs down, but those can't be used. You would have maybe 10 NIDs on a page out of the 25."

Senate has recognized the unnecessary pressure requiring NIDs has put on students hoping to run and is in talks to modify the information required in order to prove a name's validity as a UCF student.

"We all agree it needs to be changed at once," Katie Celano, Elections and Appointments Committee chair, said. "We are collaborating on ideas to solve this. Ideally we should have it resolved before fall elections."

There are four proposed courses of action.

The first is to retain the current system of using NIDs.

"We don't really want this to happen," Miller said. "Students don't know their NIDs.  NIDs are outdated. Students don't really need to use them."

The second solution would be to revert back to using the PID number with a disclaimer.

During the 39th student senate in 2006-2007 the senate voted to change the forms from requiring the PID number for verification to the NID.

They did this as a preventative measure to keep students' PID numbers, which contain secure financial and personal information, from being ill-used.

"Personally, I like the PID idea," Miller said. "Everyone knows their PID, but there is the problem with security."

The third proposed solution calls for students to write their UCF ID card number, which runs along the bottom of their student ID, beside their signature.

While most students do not have this number memorized, like with the NID, they should always have easy access to it as students are supposed to carry their cards with them.

The final idea would require students to write the last four digits of their PID and their birth date to prove they were UCF students.

"I like the last four of the PID plus the birth date best," Celano said. "It's safe to give out."

Celano said teachers post grades using the last four digits of the PID.

"With the birth date and the name it is impossible to forge," Celano said. "Those three things are something every student would know. It is easier too then having to stop and get out your ID from your wallet when you're trying to walk by, and safer than giving out the full PID."