The undergraduate student government approved Tuesday night a five-day election calendar for the council’s election this spring, and discussed increased security presence at election events.
This year’s Undergraduate Students Association Council election will take place May 2 to May 6. In previous years, voting lasted three to four days, but the Election Board extended last year’s voting period to five days in an attempt to increase voter registration, said Shagun Kabra, former Election Board chair.
Kabra said adding an extra day of voting costs thousands of dollars in student fees, to integrate voting software with MyUCLA. Election Board Chair Lindsay Allen, a second-year statistics and economics student, said this year’s budget for MyUCLA voting software is about $6,000.
This year, Meet the Candidates, an event where undergraduate students can question candidates, and student group endorsements, during which organizations endorse political groups, will be held on April 22.
Allen added she aims to ensure the undergraduate student body has a safe and fair voting environment this year. Some council members suggested increased security presence at the Meet the Candidates event, citing hate speech at previous election events.
USAC General Representative Aaliya Khan said there were hecklers at last year’s Meet the Candidates, and she would like to have a security guard, or at least an election board staff member, guard each candidate.
Allen said she will look into hiring security guards within a limited budget. Student Wellness commissioner Marvin Chen said he thinks Allen can ask UCLA Residential Life staff to help provide security.
Allen added slates, or campus political parties, must submit their applications by March 4.