Students may request tickets online Monday for the gubernatorial debate. The tickets will be available on the My Football Tickets tab of the ACTion card website from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The gubernatorial debate between Republication candidate Dr. Robert Bentley and Democratic candidate Ron Sparks will take place on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Moody Concert Hall.
“When students request a ticket, their information will be stored with a time stamp,” said Ian Sams, SGA communications director. “The students requesting tickets will then be ordered according to when their requests were made.”
Sams said the tickets are free and there will be 300 to 500 student tickets allotted, but that number will be fluid as it will be in direct correspondence with the number of invited guests that plan to attend the event.
RSVPs for the event are due by Monday at 5 p.m. and after that the ticket process will be evaluated to ultimately know how many students will be able to attend.
Sams said that, after the 5 p.m. deadline, the next step is for the coordinator to evaluate the RSVPs and assess how many tickets allocated to the guest list will actually be utilized by invited guests who have confirmed their attendance.
“The students who receive a ticket will be informed through email later that evening,” said Jimmy Young, gubernatorial debate coordinator.
As the SGA works on this event, Young said students are urged to request tickets to see the debate at the Capstone.
“Attending the debate will be one of the most unique experiences a student will have while at the Capstone,” Young said. “This will grant students the opportunity to see firsthand the candidates take and stands on issues that directly impact the University and state.”
The candidates will address several topics that are based on the questions that students send through the debate website at decisionalabama.ua.edu.
Each candidate will be addressing many of the issues that they feel are most important in their own personal campaign.
As listed on his website, Bentley values topics such as curing Alabama’s economy, making healthcare affordable and accessible, and addressing illegal immigration.
Some of the issues listed on the website of the opposing candidate, Commissioner Sparks, include the fight for a state lottery, four year appraisals and governmental accountability.
Bentley said he hopes the decision is easy for first-time voters when they go to make their choice for governor.
“For first-time voters, this will be a great opportunity for them to personally hear my message and the reasons I am asking for their vote,” he said. “I look forward to talking about issues and sharing with them exactly where I stand.
“I am encouraged by the response from the students at the University of Alabama, and I appreciate their desire to be involved in state politics and to take part in the political process.”
The Sparks campaign was unavailable for comment.
