USAC special election to feature all independent candidates

Only independent candidates are running for office in next week’s undergraduate student government special election, marking the first time in recent years that no slates have participated in an election.

Typically, multiple slates run candidates in Undergraduate Students Association Council elections. Bruins United, LET’S ACT! and FIRED UP! ran candidates in last spring’s elections, but will not be running any candidates for the two open positions in the upcoming race.

Slates often supply candidates with funding, a campaign team and student group support, so the absence of slates in this election has put more responsibility and focus on individual candidates. It also creates more opportunities for independents to be elected to USAC, since they typically have struggled to win contested seats against slated candidates since the formation of the Students First! slate in the early 1990s.

USAC currently consists of four LET’S ACT! members, four Bruins United members and four independents.

An election lacking slates and special elections are both rare occurrences, said Director of Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement Mike Cohn, who has worked with USAC for more than 20 years.

Cohn added that voter turnout could also be affected by the absence of slates in the election.

“Voter turnout is always tricky in special elections, since it depends on how much interest is generated by the students involved,” Cohn said. “Slates generate some of the interest in elections, so we could potentially see a drop in voter turnout.”

Another possible effect of the absence of slates is the prevalence of self-funded campaigns among candidates, which may reduce overall spending on the election.

“I didn’t realize how expensive campaigning is, and the spending is quickly adding up,” said Michelle Balatbat, a fourth-year political science student and candidate for transfer student representative. “I’m glad I’m running independently, but it’s definitely much harder to run an effective and well-funded campaign without a slate backing you.”

Last week, Bruins United Chairs Zoe Sheppard and Heena Doshi put out a statement announcing that Bruins United would not be running any candidates or endorsing any candidates or referendums in the special election.

The statement said Bruins United did not run candidates because it did not want to be involved in the election only to secure a council plurality. The statement also said slate members wanted to see the new transfer representative position be separate from slate politics.

LET’S ACT! Chair Tyler Cherry said the slate will not be involved in any coordinated effort to campaign for any candidates, but members have not yet decided whether to endorse any candidates or referendums.

Cherry said the slate decided to not run any candidates because it decided that it did not want to politicize the election, especially the race for the transfer representative seat.

Although no slates will officially participate, some candidates have prior slate affiliations and have worked in USAC offices led by slated councilmembers.

Transfer student representative candidate Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed ran as the LET’S ACT! candidate for internal vice president in last spring’s election and is one of USAC president and LET’S ACT! member Devin Murphy’s chiefs of staff.

Sadeghi-Movahed said she chose to run as an independent in this election because of her desire to see the new transfer representative office be inclusive to all slate and political ideologies, since she thinks transfers are a diverse group of students.

“In a slate system, the logistics and campaigning is mostly done by your slate and team, your job is just to be the best candidate you can be,” Sadeghi-Movahed said. “As an independent, all of that falls on you and you are in charge of everything.”

Balatbat worked in the internal vice president’s office last year, when Bruins United member Avi Oved headed it.

Although Balatbat said she is not a member of Bruins United, she said she supported current Internal Vice President Avinoam Baral’s campaign and changed her Facebook profile picture to his campaign image.

The other candidate for transfer representative, third-year political science student Allan Kew, is in his first quarter at UCLA after transferring and has no prior experience with USAC or slate politics.

Kew said he thinks his lack of experience or affiliation with slates allows him to be more open to all students and groups. However, he said his lack of established relationships with many students and groups makes it more difficult to publicize his campaign.

General representative 2 candidate and fourth-year international development studies student Youmun Alhlou said she is not an official member of the Bruins United slate, but has worked in USAC offices held by Bruins United councilmembers. She also helped campaign in the past for a sorority sister running for office as a Bruins United candidate.

Sofia Moreno Haq, a fifth-year gender studies student and general representative 2 candidate, said she has supported some LET’S ACT! candidates in past elections, but her campaign team and close supporters are from a diverse range of slates and backgrounds.

Online voting for the special election begins next week on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and ends on Thursday, Oct. 23. Results will be announced during the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 24.