A three-day online election at the end of October successfully changed the Associated Student Body Government (ASBG) constitution regarding board member qualifications and elections.
The online election, which was open from Oct. 18-20, marked the first time the governing body sent a ballot through student email.
“We had a great turn out of votes,” said ASBG President Nicholas Aguirre. “There was a great response from actual students.”
The election includes new changes to the constitution, including allowing students with a 2.0 grade-point average and five units the ability run and be elected for an board position, instead of needing 2.5 grade-point average and nine units.
Anyone running for office only has to meet state and school requirements, and any student can become an interim officer to a vacant position with a majority vote of the other board members.
“Really minute things were changed,” said Aguirre. “I imagine the only thing someone could complain about that was changed is it’s now possible to appoint students without a fall election.”
According to Aguirre these new rules will make it easier for ASBG to stay closer to the California education code and fill nine vacancies on the board.
Those vacancies are hindering the student government by overloading the remaining officers with work, said Aguirre.
The ASBG also hopes this will strengthen support for previous matters regarding the flea market.
“It’s hard for us to look at the administration and going ‘oh you’re breaking the law by stealing our flea market’ but then at the same time were not in accordance to state law or board policy on how to do things,” said Aguirre. “We need to follow the rules, everyone needs to. Plus, it makes it easier for us to hold their [the administration’s] feet to the fire if we’re acting in a proper manner.”
Ballots are not the only thing being put online, the ASBG board hopes to put applications for open positions online within the next two weeks.
“This is being done because we wanted people to know that we are not like the past ASBG people,” said Aguirre.
