Real Leadership won the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) election Jan. 16 with 305 yes votes, according to chief electoral officer (CEO) Christopher Loye.
The RRRA executive-elect is Graham Pedregosa as president, Arpita Dar as vice-president (programming), and Cameron Bradshaw as vice-president (administration). Pedregosa is the current vice-president (administration) and Dar is the current vice-president (programming).
“I’m really ecstatic,” Pedregosa said. “A 98 per cent support is something that I don’t think has ever happened in RRRA’s history and it shows we have student support.”
He said he is most excited about the team’s campaign goal to work with housing services to create a fourth meal time in the cafeteria.
Real Leadership also promised move-out services, more sponsorship, lower prices, and two-ply toilet paper in its platform.
Seven “no” votes were cast, with four spoiled ballots bringing the total number of ballots cast to 316, Loye said.
Real Leadership was the only slate entered in the election during the Jan. 9-10 nomination period, one day after the Writ of Election was released and the election was announced.
With no previous mention of an early election being called, potential candidates had less than 72 hours to file nomination papers.
RRRA’s constitution allows the CEO and the incumbent executive to choose the campaign period.
“We had to move quickly to get a slate together,” Pedregosa said.
Despite the short election period, he said the high approval rating and few “no” votes cast were proof students have confidence in the Real Leadership team.
Loye said an early election was better for students.
“We’re going to have an early election because students will not feel overwhelmed by the confluence of politics, academics, and a high stress environment, which is a very potent mixture,” he said at RRRA’s executive elections public forum on Jan. 14.
Last year’s writ was released on Jan. 31, two days before nominations could be filed and more than two weeks before the Feb. 13 election.
