Nearly all YFS positions acclaimed, not elected

Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
The student elections at York University have essentially come and gone in the span of one meeting.
At the all-candidates meeting (ACM) March 3, it was established the executive candidates and director candidates of the Students First slate – save two independent candidates running for Schulich director and Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) director – had been appointed to their positions due to the lack of an opposition.

The position of YFS president has not run uncontested since 1979, the last time an executive was acclaimed.
Some students have argued an opposition slate failed to come together because of biases inherent in the electoral process.
In a Feb. 2 issue of Excalibur, Greg Kay, the current student union Schulich director and a member of last year’s opposition slate, New York, predicted there may not be an opposition slate. He explained people are discouraged from running against the York Federation of Students (YFS) incumbent.
“The reason [there is no opposition slate] is because people are disenchanted with their student government, but their student government isn’t making rules that allow newcomers to come in,” said Kay.
He added that, though some changes were made to the YFS elections process this year, overall it still runs contrary to the recommendations made in the McCamus report, an audit of the process conducted by the York ombudsperson.
“Why the heck should anyone run when they know they’re going to be disqualified?” Kay asked.
Michelle Berman, president of the York Campus Conservatives (YCC), agreed the lack of an opposition slate “is a [testament] to the fact the elections are totally corrupt.”
Berman said students have lost faith in the democracy of the YFS since the opposition slate has been disqualified for “arbitrary and silly reasons” in past elections.
However, vice-president students Robert Tiffin noted that while some may say the changes made this year to the YFS election bylaws are insufficient, it is impossible to know whether they really made a difference without an opposition slate.
“If [the student body] wants to see a change consistent with their position, they have to engage in the process,” he said. “One could argue it is an unfair process, but if you haven’t engaged in it, then the policies cannot be tested.”
Tiffin noted the lack of opposition speaks to the apathy of the student population, which he labeled his main concern in this year’s elections.
“I guess I’m concerned about apathy […] Are students not interested in student government?” he asked. “Or one could take the position the student body as a whole supports those currently running for office.”
YFS executives said though they’ve been acclaimed, their job is not yet finished, as two Students First director candidates still need to be elected into their positions.
“There’s no need to launch a massive campaign with two people, so [the two candidates] are taking ownership and doing a big chunk of the work,” said current VP campus life and incoming president Vanessa Hunt. “But we are playing a role as a team to help get their names out there and help with their campaign.”
Both Jaspal Sangha – running for Schulich director against independent candidate Benzi Yeung – and Jessica Thyriar – running for LA&PS director against independent candidate Jonathan Jupiter – are the only Students First candidates in the election, and the only reason polling stations on Keele campus will remain open during election period.
Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Obinna Oraka said while polling stations will remain open as scheduled, the YFS has decided to cut down on a number of stations, including the only polling station at Glendon campus.
“Glendon students are not eligible to vote for LA&PS or Schulich directors,” said Oraka. “Since the executive positions are not contested, it doesn’t make much sense to have a polling station [at Glendon].”
In addition, the number of polling booths planned – two each in Vari Hall and Scott Library – will both be reduced to one station each.
Oraka also said that while the candidates have had their positions acclaimed, he must report his election findings to the board, and that the board must ratify the election results.
Between 1980 and 1990, at least four and as many seven candidates competed for York student union president; since then, the number has declined.
In 1977, elections shrunk significantly when 12 director candidates were acclaimed without contest.