The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) general election period opened Jan. 8 with the nomination period. The nomination period will continue until Jan. 22.
Students will take to the polls from Feb. 6 to 8 to elect the next CUSA president and councillors.
Nominations will be validated from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26. Candidates must receive the required number of nominations to be validated during this period.
Presidential nominees must receive 127 nominations and prospective councillors must receive 16 to two nominations, depending on faculty size.
Candidates will be able to campaign from Jan. 29 up until the voting period.
Five referendums will appear on the ballots this year.
These referendums include the Millennium Promise Fee, World Food Programme Fee, Clubs and Societies Levy, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Levy, and First Year Transition Levy.
These referendums would adjust the levy fees that Carleton students pay.
CUSA has historically had issues with voter turnout, often failing to reach the 15 per cent voter quorum needed to pass financial referendums.
Only 13.4 per cent of undergraduate students voted in the 2023 general election, meaning that the three referenda on the ballots were annulled.
However, in the October 2023 by-election, voter turnout reached an almost record high of 19.8 per cent, allowing the much-anticipated Unified Support Centre referendum to pass.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
