This story contains details viewers may find disturbing. Those in need of support can call the Ottawa Distress Centre Crisis Line at 613-238-3311 or the Carleton Sexual Assault Support Centre at 613-520-5622.
Carleton’s department of Equity and Inclusive Communities (EIC) is offering online peer support for sexual violence via Google Hangout Monday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
In an email to candidates on Wednesday night, the elections office announced campaigning will officially resume at midnight on March 17.
The presidential debate, originally scheduled for March 7, will be held on Zoom on Friday, March 18 at 6:00 pm.
According to the email from chief electoral officer (CEO) Nicolas Gil Ocampo and deputy electoral officer (DEO) Qusai Yusuf, voting days will now take place on March 21 and 22, overlapping with the voting days for the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) general election.
On March 21, students will receive ballots for the CUSA election in their student emails and will have 48 hours to submit their votes.
After the election calender was originally pushed back due to a lack of interested candidates, the voting days and presidential debate were further postponed. The elections office called a blackout period on March 4 and announced an indefinite suspension of the campaigning period on March 6 due to sexual assaults allegations directed towards a CUSA presidential candidate.
Since the blackout period was called, two of the six presidential candidates, Benjamin Lieu and Holden Heppler have dropped out of the campaign.
Although the previous campaign rules have remained in place, the elections office requested candidates submit statements to the office before posting them publicly “in order to promote fairness and avoid further conflict.”
“While we understand the urge to speak on recent issues, we strongly encourage candidates to refrain from making statements regarding situations that have yet to come to a resolution,” the email from the CEO and DEO said.
This article was last updated on March 17 to include an official date and time for the presidential candidates debate.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
