I voted ‘no confidence.’ And before the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) officials and One Carleton supporters start telling me it is not their fault more candidates did not come forward to run in the election, let me say that I blame both CUSA and the One Carleton candidates for the lack of variety in candidates.
Every year, Carleton students are faced with a flurry of candidates in the tunnels during January. Some students might be interested in what these candidates might have to offer. Others may be trying their best to avoid talking to them by putting on their headphones, avoiding eye contact or by simply being honest that they are not interested in talking.
This year, there was a notable decrease in candidates running for CUSA positions compared to last year, when two slates and quite a few independent candidates ran. This year’s election saw roughly a two per cent decrease in voter turnout since last year. It seems to me, as it may seem to many other students, that CUSA wants certain people to run for the positions. They simply did nothing to prove otherwise. For example, CUSA does not send emails declaring the start of the election season. How is it possible for the students who intended to apply to know any dates and deadlines about the application process?
CUSA’s failure to send out emails declaring the beginning of the nomination period makes me wonder if they do so deliberately. It is hard for me to believe that notifying other students of the beginning of the race did not cross CUSA’s mind. How can I, as a student, suddenly face candidates in the tunnels without having any idea about how the process works?
I also blame the One Carleton candidates. Agreeing to run knowing they are the only slate with little opposition means they support non-democratic elections. These candidates should be the ones holding CUSA accountable for this failure. Before they start making astronomical promises and plans to gain votes, they should make sure the elections run democratically and that all students have equal chances to seek nominations to run.
The lack of attendees at the executive and councillor debates on Feb. 6 was also quite ironic. How can a debate happen when only one slate is running? Who are they going to talk to? Where will the challenging questions come from?
This would have been worse if ‘abstain’ was the only other option on the ballot other than One Carleton to choose from. I am extremely proud that the option of ‘no confidence’ was included because it proves students—even if they were not many—were vigilant and cared about the existence of a democratic system.
The victory of the ‘no confidence’ option in three of the four uncontested executive positions should be a sign for CUSA to reconsider how they carry out an event as big as the elections. Voting ‘no confidence’ does not only mean the elections need to be repeated. It also means that a big portion of students—myself included—simply lost trust in the whole process. Voting ‘no confidence’ does not only mean the elections need to be repeated—it also means that a big portion of students, myself included, simply lost trust in the whole process.
In order to combat election apathy and cynicism, CUSA should acknowledge their failure to conduct a democratic and fair election. And One Carleton candidates need to agree that an election with only one slate running is more of a referendum on the question: should the same party still be in power? CUSA must issue an apology to all students because this is a black mark on Carleton’s history.
Then, they should work on fixing the policies that state the amount of time needed between dropping the writ and the start of the nomination period. When CUSA drops the writ, emails should be sent out to all students, which would give them enough time to consider seeking out nomination.
Finally, because I am a positive person and I like learning a lesson from every mistake, CUSA needs to reflect on this event and think about how to improve the policies in place. At the end of the day, there are mistakes in everything.
It is a matter of courage to acknowledge these mistakes, because we cannot move forward without learning from the past.
