Kristina Stahl / The Triton
The Associated Students of UC San Diego (ASUCSD) Election Committee announced the final 2020 election results on Friday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar. This year’s election had a total voter turnout of 21.37%, up from last year’s 17.52%.
Two candidates ran for each executive ASUCSD position: president, vice president of campus affairs (VPCA), and vice president of external affairs (VPEA). Several of the senator candidates ran unopposed, though the campus-wide senator position was hotly contested, with nine candidates running in total. In addition to the student government elections, the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Fee Referendum, which will establish a student fee to help fund CAPS, was also on the ballot.
The election was delayed to Week 8 of Spring Quarter due to the COVID-19 health emergency. College council elections proceeded as normal, but the campus-wide elections were delayed so that ASUCSD could focus on aiding the student community, according to Elections Manager Danielle Viviani.
As a result of the low turnout for the College Council Election, ASUCSD aggressively promoted election participation on social media this year, hosting giveaways on Instagram and posting advertisements on class Facebook groups.
The BOLD slate won all three executive board positions and swept the campus senator positions as well. The 2020-21 ASUCSD president will be BOLD candidate Kimberly Giangtran. Hannah Kreitman will be the VPCA. Finally, BOLD candidate Alisha Saxena will be the next VPEA. The Triton will interview the incoming executives in the coming weeks to better understand their outlook and goals for next year.
Voter participation met the minimum 20% threshold needed for the CAPS Fee Referendum to be considered for approval or disapproval. It was approved with 51% of the total 7,100 yes and no votes cast. As a result, a $20.71 CAPS fee will be added beginning in the 2020-21 school year.
Below is a list of all the candidates who ran for each position. It includes statements from the elected executive positions.
“Dear Tritons, To everyone that has supported me and my campaign, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everyone who participated in this monumental election as we try to move forward amid a global pandemic. I know political campaigns can sometimes seem small or even silly, but times like this prove that student government matters. With students off-campus, out of work, and fighting for their basic needs, it is more important now than ever to advocate for students and put them at the forefront of everything we do. Thank you for entrusting me to represent you all – it is an honor and responsibility that I take with great gravity and pride. We are all in this together, so let’s band together as a unified student body and make UCSD the best place it can be!”
“Running for student government is physically and emotionally taxing, especially when it is so clearly not what people should be worrying about right now. But with the administration making choices that affect our academics, our finances, and our college experience, it is more important than ever to have students in the room who can represent student needs.
Thank you for picking me to be one of those students. I will take working for you, the students, very seriously and will diligently and unapologetically demand that students are prioritized on this campus. I cannot wait to start learning from you and working for you. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, I could not imagine doing this without an incredible team of friends, peers, and candidates behind me.
I am ready to start outreaching to the communities students have created for themselves during this time, meeting with the administration on how to meet the needs of students in a safe and fair way, and practicing inclusion of the student body when it comes to AS’s decision making.
AS and UC San Diego have done so much for me and I cannot wait to return the favor.”
“To my supporters, and to those who took part in this election, I want to say thank you. Thank you for believing in my passion and my vision to truly transform this office into one that represents, supports, and amplifies the voices of our students. There are many of you that I don’t know personally, and for you to place your faith in me is extremely appreciated. I am humbled by the support that I have received on this long, yet rewarding journey.
Though I stand by the statement I made in the debates, I still recognize my opponent’s drive to represent our students- he has undeniably done a lot to ensure the representation of our international and out-of-state students, and for that, he has my respect. I look forward to our potential collaborations in ensuring that our students are being heard and represented in every corner of the campus and within our local, state, and federal government. I hope my opponent and his supporters can still be proud of the reforms and decisions that occur within the office under my leadership.
I know many of you feel disenfranchised by AS- I hear you loud and clear. I hope we can unite to forge a new path for student government and its presence on campus. Together, we can create a new face for advocacy at UCSD, with your stories, experiences, and ideas being the driving force of mobilization. What you bring to the table is important, and no person, institution, or law should tell you otherwise.
I promise to offer a full-fledged commitment to this position, and I hope to go beyond the expectations of what this office is projected to accomplish. Whether I received your support or not, I hope I, and this office, can be of service to you and your needs throughout this challenging time and for the year to come. Please feel free to reach out to me at alsaxena@ucsd.edu if you have any questions or comments.”
Samir Nomani is the News Editor at The Triton. You can follow him @samir_the_first. Kate Zegans is the Managing Editor of The Triton.
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