SMOB Election Process | Montgomery County Public Schools

Student Leadership → Student Member of the Board (SMOB) → Election Process

Student Member of the Board: Election Process

The SMOB election will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

The Student Member of the Board (SMOB) is a voting member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. The SMOB election takes place from January to April and is run by the Special Elections Committee. Any current sophomore or junior may run to be SMOB in their junior or senior year.

2025-2026 SMOB Election Protocols Ballot Link (only open for specified voting periods)

The Special Elections Committee hosted their annual virtual SMOB 101 event to inform students about the SMOB position, eligibility requirements, and to hear from the direct experiences of former and current SMOBs: Arvin Kim, Sami Saeed, and Praneel Suvarna.

2026 SMOB Nominating Convention and SMOB Finalists

On Wednesday February 11, 2026, over 400 student delegates from across MCPS middle and high schools came to Watkins Mill High School to participate in the SMOB Nominating Convention. From a pool of 8 students, two candidates were elected as the finalists, Mr. Leul Dawit and Ms. Reemey Ghermay.

SMOB Finalist Leul Dawit

Mr. Leul Dawit is a Grade 10 student at Northwood High School. He currently serves as a Field Organization Deputy for MoCo for Change, a certified workshop presenter for the Maryland Association of Student Councils, and Environmental Education Deputy for Eco MoCo. He also serves as a Student F.A.I.R. Student Leadership Coordinator and a Historian for the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.

SMOB Finalist Reemey Ghermay

Ms. Reemey Ghermay is a Grade 11 student at Walter Johnson High School. She is currently serving as the President of the Walter Johnson High School Class of 2027, a SMOB Advisory Council’s Boundary Deputy, and a Legislative Affairs Deputy for the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association. Ms. Ghermay also has also previously served as the Montgomery County Junior Council Vice President.

Special Elections Committee

The Special Elections Committee (SEC) is a group of middle and high school students that handles the logistical details for running the SMOB election. They hold the SMOB 101 event, write and enforce the election rules, ensure all candidates have a fair, equal chance in the election process, and collaborate with the Director of Student Leadership and Extracurricular Activities to verify all students are informed voters before election day and are encouraged to vote.

Applications for the SEC Executive Board usually open in June. Check the SEC's Instagram for more updates: @mcpssec

SMOB Elections Timeline

ACTION	DATE	NOTES
SMOB Candidate Nomination Filing	January 5-29, 2026	SMOB candidate nomination filing closes on January 29, 2026, at 5 p.m. Candidate nomination forms can be found in the SMOB Election Protocols (pages 41-43). Completed forms should be scanned and emailed to Mrs. Shella Cherry, Director, Student Leadership & Activities at: Shella_B_Cherry@mcpsmd.org.
Mandatory SMOB Candidate Meeting	January 29, 2026 6-7:30 p.m.	Held virtually from 6-7:30 pm. Meeting information will be sent to all approved candidates. Candidates meet with the Special Elections Committee and the current SMOB to review the election process, protocols and expectations, and the job and current work of the SMOB. The original nomination form must be postmarked by January 29, 2026, and mailed to: Montgomery County Public Schools Special Elections Committee c/o Mrs. Shella Cherry, Director, Student Leadership & Activities 850 Hungerford Drive, Room 177 Rockville, MD 20850
SMOB Candidate Profiles Due Date	February 1, 2026 5 p.m.	SMOB candidate profiles should be emailed to Mrs. Shella Cherry, Director, Student Leadership & Activities at: Shella_B_Cherry@mcpsmd.org by 5 p.m. to be included in the SMOB Nominating Convention Candidate Profiles document. SMOB candidate profiles must include: Student Name, grade, and school Picture Answers to three questions (shared at the January 29, 2026, mandatory candidate meeting)
Mandatory SMOB Candidate Nomination Convention Review Meeting & Rehearsal	February 9, 2026 6-8 p.m.	Held at Carver Educational Services Center (CESC) Auditorium from 6-8:00 pm. SMOB candidates submit the following for review at this meeting: Copies of stickers, posters, and flyers that will be handed out at the Nominating Convention Financial report (pages 51-52 of the SMOB Election Protocols) Names and permission forms of the 5 members of the campaign team Presentation slides for Nominating Convention speech Speech talking points SMOB candidates will participate in a rehearsal of the SMOB Nominating Convention agenda
SMOB Nominating Convention	February 11, 2026 (Snow date: February 12th)	This experience will be held in person at Watkins Mill High School. Delegates will be selected at the school level. Students may check with their School SGA Advisors for more information about the selection process.
"Meet the Candidates" Experience	TBD	SMOB finalists participate in a recorded Meet the Candidates experience with a question-and-answer component that all secondary students will view. The finished video will be published on the MCPS-MD YouTube channel.
Election Day	April 22, 2026	Election polls open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 3:30 p.m. Results will be shared with finalists and made public at 5:30 p.m. In the event of distance learning and an online election, the election window may be extended. Election results should be made public after 8:00 p.m.
SMOB Swearing-In Ceremony	TBD	The SMOB-elect will be sworn in to the Board of Education.