ASUCD elections are happening next week, and so is your chance to have a say in campus politics
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
With general elections consuming everyday media, it can be easy to overlook the elections that are closer to home. The ASUCD fall quarter elections are happening next week from Nov. 12 to 16, and the Editorial Board urges you to utilize your vote. If you truly want to have a say in what happens on campus, voting in the ASUCD elections is the perfect way for your voice to be heard.
ASUCD elections occur every school year, in the fall and spring quarters respectively, and are open to all undergraduate students. The overarching branch of ASUCD consists of the compilation of units, such as Unitrans and the Coffee House, that provide services and events to students, and the student government which allocates funds and manages the organization as a whole. The main point of the elections is to not only elect new ASUCD government officials but to also vote on measures that directly affect the student body.
This election cycle, there is only one measure on the ballot: ASUCD Constitutional Amendment #92. This amendment aims to encode students’ right to privacy into the Student Bill of Rights. Additionally, it will expand the reach of this protection to “caste, class, native language etc.,” according to the amendment text.
In addition to ballot measures, one of the most exciting aspects of the ASUCD elections is the senate appointments. The senate is the primary student legislative body on campus that allocates student fees and votes on legislation that aims to suit the best interests of the student body.
This quarter, there are 10 candidates on the ballot: Solana Rodriguez, Ryan Weber, Zack Dollins, Ilias Benomar, Umar Shaikh, Jorge Diuaz, Jenna Younes, Nanki Kaur, Kenneth Dupont and Alexa Raben. Even though only six of these candidates will be elected to serve on the senate, the ballot follows a choice voting format which allows you to rank all of the candidates in order of preference. This way, you can advocate for as many candidates as you would like.
For those who wish to learn more about the candidates, keep an eye out for The California California Aggie’s “Meet the Candidates” article that introduces the senate candidates and their respective platforms. Additionally, the Editorial Board will be writing endorsements for the candidates that we deem best fit for the senate positions.
Students who want to be more involved in student government beyond voting can also attend the weekly senate meetings every Thursday at 6:10 p.m. in the Mee Room on the third floor of the Memorial Union. Each meeting there is an open forum, where students and members of the community can ask questions directly to the senators.
Despite ASUCD elections having a large impact on campus life, UC Davis currently has the smallest student voter turnout of all the UCs, with percentages as low as 2.69% (or 1,499 students) in 2021. The election cycle of spring quarter 2024 only showed a 23.7% voter turnout, the highest the campus has seen in years. This poses a problem, because ballot measures that involve student fees need a voter turnout of at least 20% to pass, an occurrence that does not happen very often.
The Editorial Board wants to emphasize that your vote matters and can make the difference in keeping essential programs on campus. Past measures such as The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) that support valuable programs, like Sheep Mowers and Arboretum Waterway projects, have barely passed over multiple years of advocacy, solely due to low voter participation rates.
Many students on campus are unaware that ASUCD elections exist, which can possibly be attributed to a lack of advertising in past years. Various ASUCD units have advocated for increased promotions for the elections to spur voter turnout, and the ASUCD Elections Committee is currently working to expand outreach and engagement.
The Editorial Board urges you as student voters to be proactive in campus politics and vote in the fall quarter elections, so that you can see your opinions visibly reflected around you. To cast your vote, you can scan any of the QR codes around campus or go to the ASUCD elections website at elections.ucdavis.edu. Voting will open on Nov. 12 and close on Nov. 16, so make sure to get your ballot in by the deadline.
Voting on campus is a right and a privilege. It can mean the start or end of various programs on campus and decides who represents our student politics. ASUCD keeps our buses running, dictates how our $18 million of student fees are spent and even supports the success of our very own Cal Aggie newspaper. For the greater good of our campus politics and student population, get out there and vote!
Written by: The Editorial Board
