The undergraduate student government voted Tuesday night to
adopt single transferable voting for all future elections, with the
possible exception of the general election this spring.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council added a
stipulation to forgo single transferable voting for this
spring’s elections, scheduled to begin sixth week, if MyUCLA
formally refuses to use that tabulation system.
The vote, which fell along slate lines with Bruins United
councilmembers voting for the change and Student Power!
councilmembers voting against it, reversed USAC’s decision
last week not to adopt the new voting system.
The vote came after heated discussion during which
councilmembers openly criticized each other’s ideologies and
motivations.
General Representative Brian Neesby rewrote the Election Code,
which is traditionally domain of the Election Board chair, and
added a revote to last night’s agenda, irking several
councilmembers.
“I think this is clearly one councilmember who wants to
leave his legacy on this table, without regard to what’s best
for this campus, because he wants to see this passed,”
External Vice President Jeannie Biniek said. “I think
we’re being irresponsible, and I don’t think this
council wants to be irresponsible.”
MyUCLA, which administers elections, has repeatedly said
adopting single transferable voting so close to the election would
be logistically impossible, because it does not have the capability
to interpret the data.
Under the new voting system, voters rank candidates in order of
preference by a single transferable vote, which eliminates separate
runoff elections.
Neesby suggested bringing in an outside party to tabulate
elections, and have MyUCLA establish a secure connection so that
voters’ personal information could be transferred.
However, some councilmembers worried that implementing an
untested system so late in the year could be detrimental to the
elections process.
“In an election, the most important thing is that students
vote in a fair manner, and that their vote is secure,”
President Jenny Wood said. “To even consider something that
has not been proven to be possible is irresponsible and
irrational.”
Election Board Chair Anat Herzog also said the changes show
“a complete lack of responsibility.”
Since Neesby’s changes to the Election Code were
introduced several weeks ago, discussion has moved away from the
merits of single transferable voting and focused purely on
logistical issues, Herzog said.
Some councilmembers said they thought logistical concerns were
being used to mask fundamental ideological oppositions.
“It is irresponsible to pin ideological problems on
logistical issues,” said Academic Affairs Commissioner
Michelle Sassounian.
Councilmembers have been unable to discuss logistics with MyUCLA
because of a policy that prevents its staff from directly speaking
with political figures or students during election periods.
Neesby said he has worked through the Elections Board to
communicate with MyUCLA, and the only official statement he has
received regarding logistics is that MyUCLA will not adopt single
transferable voting at this time.
In the past, MyUCLA has said that while it would be able to
collect the raw data, it does not have enough time to change the
program to interpret it.
Herzog said it is a good idea to leave the voting change in the
Election Code on a conditional basis.
“This is something that I think is important to a lot of
people, so let’s make it happen when we can make it
happen.”