The more things change…

Nicholas Maronese
Editor-in-Chief
The YFS are finally making some changes to the student government elections process.
Just not changes to whether or not non-York students are allowed to campaign on a candidate’s behalf (they still will be).
And just not to whether autonomous publications like Excalibur can be used as campaign materials (it depends).
Oh, and also not about whether the election committee and appeals body should be two distinct groups (they’re still just one).
But outside of those minor details, you can look forward to some major changes.
Unless you wanted to take part in an electronic voting process. That’s not happening, either.
Yeah. Okay, fine, they’re not really making that many changes. The audits, the complaints from students, they’re all pretty well for naught.
At least the few that did get through will help to level the playing field that York ombudsperson John McCamus was talking about. They are now focusing on ensuring marginalized students have a chance to run, too.
That’s why executive candidates will now need more than twice as many signatures – 250, to be exact, in order to be nominated. Yikes – hope you’ve got 250 friends.
And they are now reimbursing candidates’ campaign expenses – as long as it’s not more than $100 if you’re a director candidate. Does Tylenol count as a campaign expense?
All kidding aside, I’m glad they’ve put a limit on the number of posters (400 for executive candidates); it was weird walking on sidewalks plastered with coloured campaign materials loosed from the walls of the university.
And to their credit, they did revise the CRO selection process so that things are at least a little more transparent.
Generally speaking, though, there’s still room for improvement. I have an odd feeling that despite the fact the student union has made all of the changes they feel are in their best interests, some students will probably complain that need to be made to level the playing field, changes in the best interests of a party other than the incumbent.
In short, things haven’t really changed at all.
You can expect the same uproar from candidates who think the playing field isn’t as level as it could be; the administration will have another unnecessary headache on their hands as students petition them to step in. The YFS may have lost their chance to put an end to the theatrics, and will instead propagate them by pointing to these changes.
But what can I say?
As the cliche? goes, the more things change – Well, you know. Yeah.