ASSU elections postponed by lack of graduate student candidates

March 30, 2015, 8:36 p.m.

Spring ASSU elections, typically held at the end of week two, will not be held until the end of week three because of a lack of candidates for the Graduate Student Council (GSC). 

“The ASSU Constitution requires that elections be held during spring quarter and during week two, week three or week four,” said Saj Sri-Kumar ’16, the Elections Commissioner. “Usually they’re held week two but it could happen during week four.”

According to Sri-Kumar, the Constitution also requires that elections for the Graduate Student Council (GSC) run concurrently with the Undergraduate elections. However, this year, not enough graduate students signed up to run for the Council due to a change in how word about the elections is normally broadcast to the graduate community.

“I couldn’t push one and not push the other,” Sri-Kumar said. “We’re looking to see if anyone else wants to run [for the GSC].”

Sri-Kumar noted that elections will still happen the same way, in the same 48-hour period at the end of week three.

Because of the change, the official campaign period will not start until next week and the mandatory rules meeting will likely occur next weekend.

Nikos Liodakis ’16, who is running with Dottie Jones ’16 for ASSU Executive, said that the abrupt move of elections has changed things for their campaign.

“We’ve already prepared a rollout for this week… so it just make things drag out a little longer,” he said. 

However, he noted that he views the change in a positive light, as well. 

“We’re very passionate about what we’re running on and we want people to really see that,” he said, adding that the extra time will give them more time to strengthen their campaign. “I understand why the commissioner had to change it so abruptly and it’s unfortunate that it was so last minute.”

 

Contact Josee Smith at jsmith11 ‘at’ stanford.edu

 

In a previous version of this article, The Daily incorrectly stated that graduate students were not interested in running, when in actuality the mode of broadcasting the elections was changed this year, creating difficulties for the GSC and candidates. We regret this error. 

Josee Smith is a senior this year, majoring in anthropology with a minor in Spanish. She is the desk editor for the student groups beat and has spent her last 3 years at The Daily as both a staff writer and contributing writer. Originally from Washington State, Josee came to California for the warm weather and stayed for the awesome reporting. To contact her, please email jsmith11 'a' stanford.edu.

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