Student Association President Vishal Aswani exercised his veto power for the first time this year, overturning a bill which would have eliminated signature requirements to run for a position in the SA.

Aswani said he vetoed the bill, which was sponsored by SA Sen. Logan Dobson, because candidates should be required to show tangible proof that they are serious about running for a position within the SA.

“The most important offices of the Student Association—those of President and Executive Vice President—require individuals who are prepared to make significant sacrifices to fulfill and exceed their duties,” Aswani wrote in a press release.

He added, “Potential candidates for Student Association elections should not face significant barriers to ballot access, but a reasonable requirement to display a modicum of seriousness, viability, and connection to the student body is healthy and necessary.”

Included with his veto, Aswani submitted a new bill, which if passed would only require candidates seeking the SA presidency or executive vice presidency to collect petition signatures.

To run for president or EVP, candidates would need to collect signatures from 1 percent of the student body.

Students wishing to run for a seat in the senate would only need to submit a statement of candidacy, if Aswani’s bill passes.

The SA Senate can vote to overturn Aswani’s veto with a two-thirds vote. The bill was passed Feb. 3 by a wider margin.