In regard to the upcoming Associate Students of the University of Idaho senate elections, bill F26-B15 received about 47 minutes of discussion, causing this Wednesday, Oct. 28 senate meeting, to run a total of two hours.
Bill F26-B15, is a Senate Bill to remove the “25 signature” requirement as a qualification to run for Senate elections, as well as changing the voting system from a single vote per spot system into a ranked choice system.
“Removing the 25-signature requirement makes it easier for eligible students to run for senate, encouraging greater participation, and representation. Implementing ranked choice voting also gives student’s more flexibility in expressing their preferences, and helps make sure election outcomes better reflect voter choices,” said bill writer, Pro Tempore Andrea Leal.
The previous ASUI election system directed voters through the ballot virtually and allowed them to select senators for each spot that was available. As an example, for one seat you would vote for one senator, and until you selected one senator per seat. The new system would allow voters to rank all of the choices presented.The people with the highest percent of votes would then be elected.
Senator Carter Durst spoke the most in negation of F26-B15, saying, “I fear that most students don’t know who we are, and if they do, they only know one or two of us, right?… As much as I like to think that they know one of all of us, they really don’t. Our outreach is very limited when I talk to students…I’m also afraid that…with ranked-choice voting, you can have people, all from the same group all voting for their four people.”
“I feel like not all students know all of the candidates, so the idea of having ranked choice voting… I would understand that on a national or on the state level, that would make more sense, but on a level like this, where student’s don’t think it changes their life, it would only benefit the few that are engaged,” said Durst.
In response, Senator Envee Carter said, “People were also allowed to come see people get voted in, and that’s every student’s right to do so. While I hear the previous senator [referring to senator Durst] out, I do believe there are many resources that students could use to see the people who were running that could represent them… it’s a civic right to vote, they get the emails… we’re doing our portion.”
Senator Emilie Guardado, who is planning to run for reelection this fall, said, “I think another important part is that the entire campus is voting on it, not just on the senate. It shows a bunch if a person really wants it. If you really put yourself out there, and show how much you’re doing.”
“If we keep the 25 signature requirement, I think it would help reduce the amount of candidates on the ballot, which could help ranked choice voting work more efficiently, and it can help people who are voting in the ASUI elections feel less overwhelmed because if you have too many people on the ballot, you can sometimes discourage people,” said Senator Gabriela Vera Alarcon.
“I disagree with the argument that having candidates get 25 signatures makes the space less inclusive… I don’t believe having signatures gathered is an unnecessary barrier, and if it does, then it should be,” said Senator Durst in debate.
Later in the discussion, VP Azocar Agurto stated that if students running for Senate elections wished to still get 25 signatures, they could choose to do so.
Senator Durst was also concerned about the timing of the bill, being placed towards the end of the Senate meeting. Pro Tempore Leal, in questioning stated that the bill needed to be passed during the Oct. 28 meeting, since the mandatory Senate election meeting was being held the next day, Oct. 29.
Durst said, “This should go through the ways and means committee…If this was an idea you wanted to present, this should have been presented earlier in the month… This is a major change to our election process to our election process, with this VPQ, with only 24 hours with no outside support from other of our constituents, in a private backdoor meeting is wrong, right?… I will be using the entirety of my speaking time against this motion.”
Durst created a 15-minutefilibuster, in negation of the bill. During the time of debate there were two non-ASUI students present, including the Argonaut.
“Full transparency, our past administration did not go through the process [requiring 25 signatures], and chose to not follow our bylaws, and the current effort night now is one that we saw was applicable, and was a needed change since it wasn’t a know responsibility to those in the senate,” said Azocar Agurto.
During senate communications, Senate Adjunctant, Eion Gleeson, said “I do want to just clarify something about how bills and resolutions are presented, they’re put in the order in which I receive them… That’s why that [F25-B15] wasn’t up front.”
Bill F26-B15, did pass with only three votes in negation, from Senator Durst, senator Will Dominguez, and senator Gabriella Vera Alarcon, all senators who were appointed during the fall special elections, not having to run though the traditional election cycle.
ASUI elections are open for three days, starting on Nov. 9, and ending on Nov. 11at 4 p.m. ASUI voting is held online through an email survey that will be sent out to students on Nov. 9.
Students who are interested in meeting thosewho are running in the fall ASUI senate election can participate in a networking event being held on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
Several funding bills were also passed during this week’s ASUI senate meeting.
A bill for the Pre-Law Society, F26-B07, allocating $400 as recommended from the finance committee, was passed to help fund their yearly pre-law banquet.
The initial request received was $500, but due to increased requests to the ASUI funding board, the request was decreased.
“Reducing the bill by $100 to $400 was the best decision to show we value the club, and believe strongly that their event should take place, while also navigating our budget,” said Senator Rainey Roecker, who is also a member of the finance committee.
Bill F26-B08, allocating funds to the Denny’s Club, written by club president Dominic Dorigo, was passed allocating them $420, to allow them to rent a skating rink, distribute Santa hats for their December Social, and purchase Denny’s gift cards for costume contest prizes.
In support of the National Society of Black Engineers’ yearly event, the Dynamic Engineering Lecture Series, allocated $500 to reduce the cost of reserving space at the Pitman Center, and the cost to cater food to the event through Idaho Eats.
“The Dynamic engineering lecture series has been around for years and has shown that it is important to engineering…It is vital that students are presented with the opportunity to connect with professional engineers and learn from them. We as ASUI need to help NSBE with the funding of this event to allow students explore elements of their field,” said senator and bill sponsor, Miguel Albor.
In addition to the prior $1,000 requested for the ASUI Senate renovation, ASUI allocated an additional $800 from its internal Senate funding. Bill writer, Pro Tempore Leal, during discussion stated that the initial amount of money was completely used up by the paint job done in the ASUI office.
One resolution was introduced during the meeting, to acknowledge first generation students on campus, numbered F26-R07.
“As a first generation student myself, born from immigrant parents, I found that every process to attend the University of Idaho was very difficult, and I had to learn to do everything myself….” said Senator Albor. “As a Vandal’s First Scholar, they helped me navigate from different resources offered on campus, and they have helped me financially. We as ASUI need to recognize not only these programs that help first generation students, but the first generation students themselves that have worked so hard to attend.”
“It’s so great to see so many first generation students in this room. As a first generation student, coming to the University of Idaho, and not knowing what a syllabus was, what alumni means, like what is that? It’s hard to come and see that and do that… I am a pace mentor myself, because last year the pace mentor I had, I don’t know what I would have been without her,” said Senator Gaurdado in discussion on this bill.
Funding bills introduced the Senate meeting include F26-B11, a bill to allocate $850 to the University of Idaho Professional Golf Management Program, F26-B12, a bill to allocate $700 to the Iranian Students Club, F26-B13, to allocate $200 to the newly started French Club, and F26-B16, allocating $600 to the Bangladesh Association of Students and Scholars, also known as BASS.
ASUI also had their yearly Halloween party, so many senators and directors were wearing costumes. This included President Lance Butikofer dressed as Regina George, VP Azocar Agurto dressed as Roderick Heffley, Director of Student Affairs Preston Hardcastle dressed as Benjamin Franklin, and senator Dominguez dressed as a ghost.
ASUI senate meetings are held weekly in various locations around campus and occur at 7 p.m. These meetings are open to the public.