The Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) and Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) elections are gearing up this week on a campus already sick of voting drama.
With the ongoing Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) election appeals saga, RRRA and the GSA should learn from the undergraduate association and run clean, by-the-book elections.
In recent years, campus elections have been marred by disqualifications and appeals—particularly from RRRA. The 2013 RRRA elections ran for nearly three months, with campaign violations resulting in the winning slate being disqualified. After an appeal, RRRA held a new election, which resulted in the winning slate being disqualified for a second time due to electoral violations.
Coupled with this year’s never-ending appeals on CUSA electoral board rulings and disqualifications, students have been forced to endure long election processes stretched out by unclear bylaws and overlapping appeals. RRRA and the GSA should run fair and honest elections to avoid unnecessarily long and frustrating campaigns.
As well, the elections are being held with less than two months to the end of the semester. If there are any disqualifications or electoral violations, there would be no time for a drawn-out appeals process. Students and candidates should not be in constant election mode for the rest of the semester, especially with midterms and final exams just around the corner.
RRRA and the GSA should take this opportunity to learn from the all-too-recent past and hold above-board elections. Students need candidates who are willing to run clean campaigns for votes, not waste their time.
