A special election possibly costing thousands of dollars in student fees would be held if students elected to undergraduate student government officer positions this week resign or turn down their posts.
If a student elected to be part of next year’s Undergraduate Students Association Council declines to take office, he or she would leave a vacancy in USAC once the new council is sworn in on June 1, said Kris Kaupalolo, the Election Board adviser, in an email statement.
A special election must be held to fill a seat no more than 15 days after the council learns that a vacancy exists, according to the USAC constitution. This procedure applies when a vacancy occurs before an officer is halfway through his or her term in USAC.
At a previous USAC meeting, Kaupalolo said a special election could cost about $6,000, but he later added that the exact cost is uncertain and hard to predict.
Compiled by Amanda Schallert, Bruin senior staff.