INTRODUCTION
Elections Board works with representatives from the Division of Student Affairs to manage both AS and campus elections. They work diligently to ensure that student candidates are properly oriented, initiatives follow the AS Legal Code and receive enough signatures, and that in general to ensure the integrity of the elections process. The work is challenging and each year new issues must be addressed. It’s to the board’s credit that it’s members devote countless hours to make sure the process is fair and that all voices are heard.
SPRING ELECTION
Due to COVID 19 the this year’s election was unprecedented in many ways. Elections Board did everything they could to keep students and candidates informed about how the election would proceed. This became especially important as it became clear that in-person would become online. The process is reflected in Elections Boards postings on its Facebook site. It started with an informational meeting and providing potential candidates with instructions on how to declare their candidacy.
Students were kept informed with an overview of what they would be voting on and changes made in the AS constitution, including the establishment of two International Senator seats. The establishment of these seats reflects the increasing number of international students on our campus and the need to address their specific needs as part of our campus community.
Fortunately, students and candidates were still on campus in the run up to the campaign and election. They were able to attend the Candidates Meeting, which is a critical informational meeting that ensures that all candidates understand their rights and responsibilities during the campaign. As part of that meeting, the Creative Media Unit’s (CMU) student photographer, Abby Coy, was also able to photograph all the candidates so that their pictures could accompany their candidate statements on line. CMU also created special virtual elections backgrounds and a sticker pack to remind students to vote.
The COVID 19 Election
Soon after the Candidates Meeting, Chancellor Yang issued his declaration regarding COVID 19 that essentially closed campus and sent students home. Election Board responded with a further set of postings for students and candidates. The instructions for candidates addressed the new reality of online campaigning and forbade traditional campaign activities that could have endangered fellow students.
Now basically all campaigning had to take place online. No more signs across campus and students handing out campaign literature or wearing party
T-shirts. Candidates, the Elections Board, and the AS and Students Affairs staff who support the work of the board met these challenges. This included taking the annual candidate forums that take place in the Hub online. Students filmed themselves answering an array of questions and the resulting videos were posted on the Elections Board Facebook site, click here. Despite initial concerns that voter turnout might be affected, UCSB students voted in large enough numbers that the results were valid.
Sadly, for candidates and their supporters, in-person election night in the UCen Hub had to be canceled. This was a real loss since the energy in that room as the election results are displayed is a unique experience. On the upside, about 350 people attended the online election night livestream and, no doubt everyone experienced some of the excitement in the comfort of their own homes.
When all the votes had been counted and the election was officially certified it was clear the Elections Board’s members hadmanaged this challenging and complex election process with their usual diligence and dedication, the candidates ran strong campaigns, and UCSB students did their part in maintaining a functioning student government that’s ready to go to work in our new online university cyberscape.
Spring Election Controversy
After the spring elections, controversy arose stemming from allegations of past sexual misconduct by President Elect Daevionne Beasley, which led to some students calling for a recall election. The recall effort included a petition that gained over 1000 online signatures. However, the petition was deemed invalid, since the signatures were collected in such a way that they were unverifiable. After a careful reading of the AS Legal Code, the AS Elections Board and the Attorney General’s office issued the following statement and summary of how such a recall would have to be conducted. Eventually, the calls for the recall subsided.
