Associated Students Inc. (ASI) met last Thursday, Oct. 10 for an ASI Senate meeting to discuss preliminary preparation for the upcoming spring 2020 student elections.
The senators at the ASI Senate meeting on Sept. 26 were introduced to a proposition of new changes to the Election Candidate Code.
The recommended version eliminates the monitoring of individual endorsement by an ASI member and allowing slating, or two or more candidates wanting to run together.
The board of directors came to a vote in last Thursday’s meeting. A total of 12 members approved the new Election Candidate Code and zero abstained.
The code was approved by the board of directors and will be in effect for the 2020 student elections next semester.
Before the vote, the senators had the chance to discuss the new code for a maximum of 30 minutes.
The topic of slates was brought up because it is one of the sections being eliminated and was not talked thoroughly during the previous meeting.
Vice President Rachel Hunter, a fourth-year political science student, clearly defined slating and why it is not being included in the Election Candidate Code.
“Slates are basically just a couple candidates agreeing that they are all going to run together,” Hunter said. “We took it out, not because we want slates to happen, but because when it comes to individual endorsement, we can’t say that individuals can do whatever they want and also say slates aren’t allowed. It’s kind of inconsistent.”
(Joanne Guintu | The Poly Post)
For last year’s 2019 student election, slates were prohibited in the code. Only candidates running for president and vice president can run together.
Senators also brought up the question if students with official ASI titles are allowed to openly state whom they support.
The confusion over using ASI titles in endorsing a candidate was addressed by the Election Chair Maricruz Santander, a fourth-year political science student.
“I think that as students we should be able to voice our opinion on who we support,” Santander said. “But we shouldn’t use our position or our title in that type of way.”
In addition to the new Election Candidate Code, the board also approved new members to committees of the election chair.
This committee will help Santander regulate candidates on their conduct and any issues not defined in the code.
They will be involved with the student election next spring. This committee is still looking for four more members.
Before next semester’s election, there are numerous empty positions on various committees that need to be filled. ASI welcomes all students to apply for the various committees on campus.
“If you have any classmates or friends that might be interested in sitting in a committee, please have them go to our website and apply to sit on the university committee,” said Ashley Joseph, ASI associate director for student government.
For more information on how you can be a part of ASI, visit https://asi.cpp.edu/student-government/opportunities/ or stop by the student government office in the Bronco Student Center for all available positions.
The next ASI Senate meeting will take place on Oct. 24 in BSC, England Evans.
