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Submission: Participation in USAC elections needed to bring constructive change

By Shagun Kabra

Oct. 15, 2014 2:58 a.m.

USAC election season never fails to be a mix of crazy, stressful and fun.

This year we get a double dose of elections mania, starting with a fall special election third week for the vacated general representative position and for the transfer representative position that was created last spring, along with a number of additional ballot initiatives. With everyone starting classes and freshmen and new transfers figuring out UCLA for the first time, this election cycle is confusing to say the least.

As the Election Board, we’re working to fill in the gaps and get people interested early in the academic year. We’re learning fast what it takes to run elections smoothly. We have already made considerable progress, such as with our redesigned website, in which we’ve made web forms available for filing documents that candidates and student groups have traditionally been required to file on paper, eliminating waste and streamlining the paperwork process.

Beyond simplifying the process for candidates, we’re looking to voter turnout as another area of focus and investment – both for this election and the spring election. The beginning of the year is stressful, so we’re working to make sure that students are both aware that elections are happening and understand the roles of the two positions up for grabs.

We acknowledge, however, that raising awareness, while important, is only half the battle. Students not only have to know that Undergraduate Students Association Council elections are happening, they also have to believe in the importance of student government enough to actually cast a vote.

This year, the Election Board wants to remove the hostility that surrounds USAC and show the impact USAC can have on student life. We want to make sure students hold their elected members accountable because they represent us, the students of UCLA. We have the power to decide who sits on the council table and represents us and our needs, and the only way to exercise this power is to go out and vote.

It’s no secret that tensions mount during election season. With all the Facebook posts and media coverage, it’s no surprise that for many students, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear “USAC” is the negativity that comes about during elections.

As Election Board chair, I am strictly against any negative campaigning and want to ensure that election season is a positive one for both the students of UCLA and for the candidates. Doing away with the ugliness that surrounds election season will definitely reinstill students’ faith in the election process and in their student government.

I genuinely believe that if an international student like me, with no prior ties to USAC, can get involved with it and try bringing in constructive change for our university, then anybody in this university can definitely do the same. This is why I urge all my fellow Bruins to go out there and give back to the university by making informed choices and casting their votes.

We understand that people have high expectations of the Election Board this year, considering the amount of time we have to make constructive changes. I have set aside time for making those changes, but my biggest priority as of now is to finish the fall special election and get new students interested in their student government.

Ultimately, whether we exercise our vote or not, USAC collects hundreds of dollars in fees from every undergraduate student every year, so we simply cannot afford to ignore it, which is why I urge all students to get informed and vote. Because no matter how cliché it sounds, every vote does count.

Kabra is a third-year mathematics/economics student and the USAC Election Board chair.

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