The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) has retracted their opt-out voting rule, which said students who opted out of CUSA levy fees were ineligible to vote in the 2020 CUSA election.
In a statement sent out to student’s emails and posted on CUSA and elections office social media accounts at 3 p.m. on Jan. 30—the final day of the voting period in the election—CUSA said they would be sending a ballot to all students’ emails, and would be extending the deadline to vote by two hours, now set to close at 11 p.m. The ballot will only include CUSA executive candidates—excluding CUSA councillors.
According to Claudia Calagoure-Perna, chief electoral officer, CUSA councillors will not be listed on the ballot because they are all running uncontested.
The decision has been made in the wake of student outcry on social media, many complaining there was insufficient notice provided to students who opted-out, that they wouldn’t be able to vote.
A petition that was started online, had garnered over 350 signatures since this morning, and has been marked “victorious,” on change.org.
As for next year’s election, a statement posted by the elections office at 3:56 p.m. reads “[s]hould the Student Choice Initiative (SCI) continue [next year], a non-partisan special election committee will be struck to carefully review the electoral process and to ensure transparency.”
When asked if the decision was made by CUSA, the university administration, and the elections office, Calagoure-Perna, said she would “rather not say.”
Calagoure-Perna later added Carleton’s Ombuds Services were consulted during the decision making process. Despite a CUSA Elections Facebook post saying there was “extensive consultation with the university,” university officials said they were not involved with consultations.
Results of the 2020 election are set to be released by 11:30 p.m. tonight on the CUSA website, according to the elections office statement.
More to come.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
