Temporary changes made to USAC election process after UCLA moves classes online
The Undergraduate Students Association Elections Board made changes to candidate requirements at a Undergraduate Students Association Council meeting Tuesday. The changes come after an emergency clause that was added to the code the same night. (Xuxin Zhang/Daily Bruin)
By Marilyn Chavez-Martinez
March 11, 2020 11:55 p.m.
Student government election managers changed election rules in light of class suspensions due to the novel coronavirus.
Navi Sidhu, Undergraduate Students Association Elections Board chair, brought up the need for changes to the election requirements at an Undergraduate Students Association Council meeting Tuesday because of UCLA’s decision to move classes and finals online until April 10. Although classes have begun to transition, the campus remains open, and Associated Students UCLA locations are still operational.
Signatures required for candidacy will drop from 100 to 60. However, the deadline to submit them and other required materials will remain the same. Students are still encouraged to get more than the minimum in case any are deemed invalid, according to a post from the elections board.
Prospective candidates can also submit the applications packets via email now, in order to meet the Friday deadline. However, candidates must still submit the physical packet in spring.
In order to make these changes, the council added a temporary emergency clause to the election code, stipulating that the elections board chair can make whatever decisions necessary – regardless of their adherence to the code – with the council’s permission in order to ensure the continuity of the election.
This clause will expire April 10 when physical classes are set to resume.
