USAC approves Election Board, official timeline not yet finalized
Candidates were appointed to the USAC Election Board at the council’s Tuesday meeting. The students will help run this spring’s USAC elections. (Christopher Hoo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Joseph Vescera
Feb. 12, 2014 1:52 a.m.
The undergraduate student government unanimously appointed five students at its Tuesday meeting to help run its spring elections.
After 10 minutes of questions and deliberation, the Undergraduate Students Association Council voted to approve the new USAC Election Board and the timeline for its elections. Although none of the dates for elections have been finalized, Election Board chair Anthony Padilla said elections are tentatively set for sixth week of spring quarter.
Padilla selected the candidates for the board and brought them to council for approval. All students had the opportunity to fill out an application to be considered for the Election Board.
Padilla said he did not receive as many applications as he had hoped, so he recruited students to apply who he thought were qualified for the job.
“I was looking for individuals who are really interested in student affairs and are engaged in what is happening on campus,” Padilla said.
Cristina Quezada, a third-year political science student, was appointed Election Board vice chair. Quezada said her experience in programming with the UCLA Office of Residential Life has prepared her for the task of helping put on a large event like the USAC elections.
Melissa Merida, a third-year mathematics for teaching student, was appointed to run the USAC endorsement hearings.
Kimberly Paredes, a second-year psychobiology student, was put in charge of publicizing the USAC elections. Paredes said she will use social media and campus advertising to spread the word about elections and involve all students on campus.
Gabrielle Scheder-Bieschin, a second-year communication studies student, was appointed head of external relations. Scheder-Bieschin currently works for the ORL and is president of the De Neve Evergreen and Fir buildings.
Councilmembers appointed Jewana Khurshid, a history and environmental studies student, to lead any investigations into alleged wrongdoing during the elections.
The approval of the Election Board comes three weeks after USAC appointed Padilla as the Election Board chair with a 8-4-0 vote. Multiple councilmembers expressed concerns about Padilla’s qualifications, but no councilmembers raised objections to any of Padilla’s appointees when they were introduced and interviewed before the council.
Padilla read parts of the election schedule at the meeting but would not give a printed copy to the Daily Bruin because he said the dates could change.
He said he does not want to cause confusion by releasing the current timeline for elections and then changing it in the coming weeks.
“We can be really prepared but there is always room for things to go awry,” he said.
It is unclear when the official timeline for USAC elections will be released to the public.
