The search for a leader of this spring’s undergraduate student government elections is intensifying as time runs out.
The Elections Board chair, who is responsible for overseeing elections each spring for the Undergraduate Students Association Council, has, in recent years, been a student who has served on a previous Elections Board.
But this year, no one with E-Board experience has stepped forward to apply for the position. Now USAC ““ which must approve the appointment of an Elections Board chair ““ is still waiting to find a qualified candidate.
USAC President Gabe Rose said the application has been available since last May and his search for a candidate has included speaking to past Elections Board members, advertising on Facebook, and speaking to other council members and acquaintances to see if they might know of a qualified candidate.
“It’s already making me nervous, but if there’s no E-Board chair by the end of this quarter, that’s a humongous problem,” Rose said.
Elections are typically held in the middle of spring quarter, and despite the delay in appointing an Elections Board chair, Internal Vice President Dianne Tanjuaquio said she is sure this year’s chair will do his or her best to follow precedent and ensure that elections happen on time.
Rose will review applications and forward those of qualified candidates to the council, who will vote to approve the appointment.
Rose said an ideal candidate will be independent, free of partisan leanings and have an understanding of both the council and USAC elections.
Tanjuaquio said she believes the position may be particularly difficult to fill since it will require a candidate to be both familiar with USAC and avoid any involvement with the council that could constitute a conflict of interest, particularly any affiliation to campus slates or political groups.
“E-Board is difficult because you have to be interested in student government but not be partisan,” she said.
Administrative Representative Rick Tuttle said applicants must have a strong understanding of the ethical responsibilities that come with the position of Elections Board chair, especially because the chair is responsible for the fairness and legitimacy of the election.
When appointed, the chair will be in charge of upholding the Elections Code, which sets rules outlining several aspects of the election, including responsible campaigning and the logistics of distributing voter information guides.
“It’s a position of great trust,” he said.
Because the chair will be responsible for enforcing many of the regulations surrounding the election, the appointee will have to be an expert on the Elections Code.
“The chair and the vice chair would have to specialize on the E-Code … so that if something comes up you know how to respond,” said Jocelyn Chu, last year’s Elections Board vice chair.
Chu said she believes that despite starting late in the year, the new appointee should be able to transition well into his or her new position as long as they are organized and delegate the more time-consuming details to other members of the board.
As long as preliminary logistics such as creating an election schedule or booking rooms for endorsement hearings are taken care of, Chu said, the chair should be able to handle any last-minute, unforeseen issues that arise later in the election.
And the job does not come without its perks, such as a $175 stipend and valuable leadership and organization experience, Rose said.
“It’s a serious job, but that’s why it’s so important and that’s why we give a considerable stipend,” he said. “It would be both a very rewarding experience and a very good thing to have on your resume.”
Rose and Tanjuaquio said they are both anxious to fill the position and get the important but sometimes challenging work of the Elections Board started.
“We really are at a point where, once we find a chair, they’re going to have to make sure that they move quickly on finding a committee and beginning the process of planning elections, because it is coming up more quickly than most people realize,” Tanjuaquio said.