By Jacob Dubé
The 2017 Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) elections are underway. Candidates will be campaigning until Feb. 5, and voting runs from Feb. 6 to 8. Here are all the slates that have been announced as of publication: Spark, Elevate, Ohana and the Rhino Party, and here are the people running for executive in those slates.
What you need to know
If you’re not excited for the upcoming elections, you should be. The RSU represents Ryerson undergraduate students through the programs they run. They also work with student societies.
Keep these things in mind over the next few weeks as students campaign for your votes:
Campaigning and posters
Posters or other campaign materials can’t be racist, sexist, homophobic or offensive in any way. If they are (it’s really not hard to follow this rule), they will be removed and the candidate can be disqualified.
Candidates can’t take down any other candidate posters, even if they really want to.
Money
While student groups and course unions can endorse a candidate, they can’t financially support them in any way.
Presidential and vice-presidential candidates can’t spend more than $500 on campaign expenses. If they, or any other candidate, goes more than five per cent over the limit, they can be disqualified. Watch your cash.
Also, alcohol doesn’t count as a campaign expense. Sorry.
When and how to vote
On voting days, students will receive an email notification letting them know voting has started (just in case your days are blending together into a sad amorphous mess while you’re studying for midterms).
And if you totally forgot who’s running, a link will be provided to you with the full RSU election ballot that includes all of the names, as well as platform statements.
After successfully implementing online voting last year, students can vote in the RSU elections through RAMSS.
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