UA spring elections begin today

Spring elections for Undergraduate Assembly representatives begin today at locations across campus and run until Wednesday. Additionally, undergraduate students will be voting on the future of Social Planning and Events Committee as an "independent planning board" separate from the rest of student government through a referendum. Currently, SPEC is a sub-committee of the UA. "Right now, if someone comes into the UA and wants to get rid of us for political reasons, they can do it with one simple vote," said SPEC president Lisa Nass last night. "It's like getting rid of SAC with one simple vote." According to the UA constitution, a referendum must receive a simple majority from 20 percent of the student body in order to pass, said Marcus Causey, nominations and elections committee chairperson. This 20 percent, or just under 2000 students, includes seniors, whose turnout typically is very low. Causey said a similar referendum failed in last year's elections, despite receiving approximately an 80 percent majority. Causey said that only 18 percent of the undergraduate student body turned out for the elections. "We'd like to have a referendum decided by the majority," Causey said, "so it's not a factor of whether enough people voted or not, but what the people who voted, wanted." "The UA is a political body, SPEC is a planning board," Nass added. "They should be responsible for passing resolutions, we should be responsible for planning Spring Fling." He said that to encourage a larger turnout, the NEC has scheduled a three-day election this year for the first time. Previous elections were held over a two-day period. Causey explained that students will vote according to their home school. In the College, they will choose 16 representatives from 21 candidates, in Wharton five reps from the nine who are running and in Engineering, only three students are running for the three available spots. Causey said yesterday that no one is running for the one available Nursing position, and so the NEC will again call for candidates to run during the Freshman Elections held in the fall. "Essentially, they go without representation until then," Causey said. Also on the ballot, students will be able to vote for three at-large representatives for University Council. Seven students, who must also be elected to the UA, are candidates. Only freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to vote for UA representatives, but all students are permitted to vote on the SPEC referendum. Today, the polls will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at King's Court, from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Quadrangle, and from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hill House. Tomorrow, they will be open from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at 1920 Commons, from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Locust Walk, and from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Stouffer Dining. Wednesday, they will be open from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Quadrangle, from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Locust Walk, and from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1920 Commons.

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