Campaign representatives presented three referendums during an Undergraduate Students Association Council elections debate Thursday. 

The USA Elections Board and the Daily Bruin co-hosted a series of debates between candidates in the upcoming USAC election. Referendums require a majority of voting students’ support to approve the referendum, and referendums that adjust student fees require at least a 20% turnout.

 The Amendment to the Good Clothes Good People Referendum proposes to revise the language of the original GCGP Referendum – which was passed in 2020 – to expand purchasing power for the Basic Needs Redistribution Center. The referendum amendment, if passed, would go into effect in Fall 2025 and would not increase the original referendum’s student fee of $0.39.

The referendum is meant to create more spending flexibility for the Basic Needs Redistribution Center, said Holly Hebden, a fourth-year biology and geography student and the referendum’s representative. She added that she believes the amendment referendum will help meet the needs of students now and in the future. 

“We want to use this funding in order to expand our resources on campus and to protect our home to meet the evolving needs of students in the future,” Hebden said. 

Tommy Contreras, who is also running for internal vice president, represented the Resources First Referendum at the debate. The ballot initiative would fund three student organizations – Campus Assault Resources and Education, Bruin Dine and the Economic Crisis Response Team – through a $4 increase to the #UCLAWellness fee. 

The referendum is meant to protect the student body from the consequences of financial issues the UC system is facing, Contreras said. He added that the referendum should be considered an investment in the student body. 

“The Resources First Referendum is not just another increase to student fees, it is a $4 investment in each other,” he said. “It is an investment in a belief that students should not have to fight through crises alone.” 

The 2025 Universal Access Transit Pass Renewal Referendum, if passed, would reauthorize the Universal Access Transit pass for an increased fee of $6.80 per quarter. The referendum, which would go into effect in Fall 2026, would not overlap with the current Universal Access Transit Pass fee of $3.41 per quarter, which expires in Spring 2026.

Students initially authorized the transit pass with a fee of $3.30 per quarter through a 2023 referendum.

The Bruin U-Pass, which gives students access to Los Angeles Metro transportation services, has allowed students to better experience LA and give back to their community, said Michael Griffin, the referendum’s representative. 

“The U-Pass is an integral part of the student experience at UCLA,” said Griffin, a third-year biology student. 

Students can vote in the election on MyUCLA starting May 9 at 8 a.m. until May 16 at noon.