The Spring 2023 UCSC Campus Elections will continue to be as accessible, confidential and convenient as possible, with voting taking place via an electronic ballot.

Students will have the option of voting from the comfort of wherever they'd like, and can acccess their ballot via the campus elections website, as well having the option to visit an in-person campus voting station and vote online there if that feels convenient between classes.

Votes will be accepted electronically between *Monday, May 15th- Monday, May 22nd 2023*. The ballot goes live at 12am on 5/15/2023 and the last votes are counted at 11:59pm on 5/22/2023. We want to make sure everyone is able to access their ballot and exercise their right to make their voice heard in this election. If you know or even think that you might need to make arrangements to allow the election to be a more accessible experience for you, we invite you to either reach out to the Disability Resource Center if you'd like them to advocate on your behalf, or at your comfort you may also make the Dean of Students Office aware of your accommodations requests, whatever feels most affirming to your needs. Either way, ideally these accommodations should be made no later than Monday, May 8th, 2023, by either yourself or the DRC contacting the Campus Elections Commissioner and Assistant Dean of Students, Strategic Initiatives & Policy Analysis, Travis S. Becker, at trbecker@ucsc.edu, 

 

*PLEASE NOTE THE NEW ELECTION DATE (MON, MAY 15th- MONDAY, MAY 22nd) AND UPDATED TIMELINE*

 

Here are some key dates to keep in mind as the 2023 Campus Elections Process kicks off in Winter 2023:

Campus Elections Timeline 
Date
Description
Notes and Deadlines
2/10/2023
Referenda Applications due for review to Dean of Students Office - for any proposed fees related to capital projects (i.e. new construction, building renovations, etc.). Send materials to barao@ucsc.edu
Deadline: 11:59 PM
2/13/2023
Referenda, Opinion Poll, SUA Amendment Application due for review to Dean of Students. Send materials to trbecker@ucsc.edu
Deadline: 11:59 PM
Feb 2023
Dean of Students Office completes work with Planning & Budget, Office of the President, etc. to finalize referendum language.
DATE TBD
Referenda authors meet with SFAC for review of ballot language.
FEB 2023- 4/2023 (exact dates dependant on ballot initiative feedback timeframe)
Following approval of referenda language, authors may begin to gather petitions or sponsorship from SUA, GSA, and/or College governments for referenda to be placed on ballot
4/28/2023
Dean of Students completes verification of signatures on referenda petitions and sponsorship forms and notifies authors if they have met requirements to proceed
Deadline: 5:00 PM
4/28/2023
Referenda & Candidate campaigns may begin
05/1/2023
Pro/Con statements due to Dean of Students (trbecker@ucsc.edu)
5/2/2023
Elections announcement in Tuesday Newsday
05/3/2023
Pro/Con statements due to Dean of Students (trbecker@ucsc.edu)
Deadline: 5:00 PM
5/12/2023 Endoresment Statement Deadline for ballot Deadline: 12:00 noon
5/15/2023
Voting begins
Voting begins at 12:00 AM
5/22/2023
Voting ends
Voting ends at 11:59 PM
By 5/31/0203
Chancellor verifies results. Results announced to campus.
Subject to change, pending ballot tabulation time by IRAPS
5/31/2023
Compulsory Fee Items to UCOP President for Final Approval
7/13/2023
Deadline for complaints about violations of elections policy (30 working days after verification)
*Please note that the above timeline will be updated several more times and continue to include more information as the election season unfolds, most specifically with regards to the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and Student Union Assembly (SUA) candidacy requirements and timelines.
As Winter quarter begins in 2023, dates and timelines for SUA and GSA are still being solidified and simultaneously due to the time-bound and frontloaded work of drafting, editing and finalizing ballot initiatives in order to officially qualify for the ballot in the Spring Election, this first edit of the timeline is an important primary resource in order to provide transparency and guidance to ballot authors specifically, and it is also a fluid resource which will continue to be updated as the election season unfolds. We invite you to check back by Week 6 of Winter quarter for additional dates and timelines with more details regarding SUA and GSA elections which will provide guidance and transparency for candidates seeking to represent their fellow slugs. 

More info about voting procedures: 

In order to vote, students will need to enter their Gold ID and Gold Password. If you do not have that information, check with the Office of the Registrar, (831) 459-4412.

At the time of the election, only currently registered (Spring 2023, based on third week records) undergraduate and graduate students at UCSC will be eligible to vote.

Votes may be cast from any computer with internet access.

Screening of voters, casting of votes, storing of votes, and determination of results will all occur electronically. Voter anonymity is built into this process. Every attempt has been made to ensure the security of all data. Any attempts at voter fraud will be handled as defined by campus policies. Fraudulent votes will be eliminated from elections results and will not count toward the minimum voting pool as required for each measure.

Ranked choice voting (RCV) will once again be used this year for the SUA officer elections. In RCV, voters will select their first choice candidate for any given position (including a write-in candidate) and may also rank as many of the remaining candidates as they wish in their order of choice. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first choice votes, they win the race outright. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, an instant runoff will occur, wherein the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters who picked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes count for their second choice. This process continues until one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.

Individuals who wish to challenge the election process or validity of the election results may file a written complaint with the interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Success. A complaint must include a detailed explanation of the specific action or section of the election policy being grieved, or alleged to have been violated, and the remedy requested. The time limit for filing a complaint shall expire thirty (30) working days after the election results are announced, likely to occur on/around July 11th, 2023 of this election year, pending an official elections result announcement by the UCSC Chancellor.