By Amira Benjamin and Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa

The Elections & Referenda Committee (ERC) of Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) ruled that only the executive vote of the 2025 fall by-election was null and void, and published unofficial vote counts for the faculty director elections. 

The publication was made over email, Instagram and on their website, detailing the disqualification of two slates.  

According to the TMSU complaint rulings, both the Students Leading Tomorrow (SLT) and Team Forward slates were disqualified, resulting in the null and voiding of the executive vote. 

Under the Elections Procedural Code (EPC), 8.5.3.2, the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) or ERC may declare an election void, “should the violation be sufficiently severe.”

These are the rulings: 

Students Leading Tomorrow – 744 demerit points 

The SLT slate received over 50 complaints across the three-day voting period of the by-election. 

Allegations involving the slate included “providing inaccurate or misleading information about candidates or voting,” “harassment” and “soliciting votes for SLT and/or individual SLT candidates.” 

Many complaints also submitted photo and video evidence.

SLT received 744 demerit points, resulting in a slate disqualification under Section 8.38. An executive candidate with more than 35 demerit points is automatically disqualified.

Ruling #FBE2025-025

A total of 45 complaints were combined into this ruling. 

Alleged EPC violations included cross-campaigning (s.8.1.31); current and prior TMSU Executives and/or board members are not eligible to serve as Campaign Managers (s.6.3.2.); conduct that persistently undermines the authority of the CRO (s.8.1.16).

There were seven “credible accounts” of unsolicited campaigning for SLT occurring in restricted areas, such as the library and academic buildings.

The CRO also considered additional evidence to support these violations, such as their direct observations, a report by MNP and the rulings of #2025FBE-024.

MNP, the accounting firm investigating allegations of fraud and corruption within the former 2024-25 TMSU executives, filed a report to the CRO and ERC. The ruling claimed that MNP investigators “received a series of audio recordings from
 a whistleblower.” 

In two of the recordings, former TMSU executives Nadir Janjua and Muhammad Awais can be heard covertly coordinating with volunteers and selecting Koby Biya as the presidential candidate.

The MNP report also concluded that Ali Yousaf, a former TMSU president, was involved with SLT’s campaign. The report stated Yousaf “instructed Hafsa Iqbal to walk around so that other slates would follow her and the volunteers would get votes more easily.”

The CRO also observed that SLT engaged in few formal campaigning activities. For example, the ruling states the CRO identified an SLT-associated Instagram account on Nov. 20. 

…(SLT) and Team Forward slates were disqualified,
resulting in the null and voiding of the executive vote

This account was not disclosed or approved by the CRO, as per ERC guidelines, and remained private for the entire election. 

The CRO also stated SLT did not provide them a list of volunteers for their campaign team, as per ERC guidelines.

SLT was found violating several ERC codes multiple times, including campaigning during the voting period, campaigning in restricted areas, cross campaigning, undermining authority of the CRO and any attempt to undermine the electoral process.

Ruling #FBE2025-026

The second SLT ruling deals with complaints regarding harassment and sabotaging another candidate’s campaign.

Complainants from different slates allege several SLT candidates were following them, threatening them and making them uncomfortable, or recording them. The CRO also believed that SLT had a “campaign strategy” to target Ali Paracha, a candidate for the Guardians slate, by randomly calling university
security complaints on them.

The CRO issued SLT 51 demerit points in this ruling.SLT filed an appeal but the CRO ultimately upheld their rulings and demerit points.

Team Forward – 151 demerit points

The Team Forward slate received 27 complaints over the three-day voting period. The allegations that slate members received include asking for votes or organizing groups to ask for votes at Pitman Hall and across campus outside of the campaign period. Some of the complaints were submitted with video evidence. 

Team Forward received 151 demerit points, resulting in a slate disqualification under Section 8.38.

Ruling #2025FBE-28

Alleged EPC violations included campaigning in restricted areas (s.8.1.32).

The CRO interviewed many of the complainants, used photos and videos from complainants and the conversation with Faizan Ansari as evidence that individuals under this slate violated rules.

There were 13 first-hand accounts of Team Forward trying to obtain votes at Pitman Hall, a restricted area. 

Multiple photos and videos that complainants provided showed Team Forward candidates using QR codes to get students to vote for them. 

The CRO met with Ansari and confirmed that he sent messages offering money to a student who would vote for him. This was appealed by Ansari to the ERC. When the ERC briefly left, Ansari told the CRO that “the only way you can win these elections is by being corrupt.” 

Ruling #2025FBE-027

This ruling dealt with multiple complaints alleging that independent candidate for vice-president student life, Vinayak Mathur, was soliciting votes, approaching students across campus during the voting period, and linking his candidacy with SLT candidates.

Some of the complaints were accompanied by video and photo recordings. Mathur has responded to the complaints in the CRO rulings, denying his affiliation with SLT and any attempt to solicit votes. 

Although the CRO did not find the candidate in violation of the EPC and did not issue any demerit points, they did determine that voter solicitation occurred “in which Candidate was named or promoted, and that this activity occurred during the Voting Period.” 

“The only way you can win these elections is by being corrupt”

The CRO said actions proven in this ruling and Ruling 25 “substantially undermined the fairness of the election, and in particular the fairness of the vote for the Executive Candidate positions.” 

Scott Miller Berry, chair of the ERC and interim co-executive director of the TMSU, said the organization will continue to ensure the electoral process remains fair and that candidates follow the rules.

“Since arriving recently, myself and [interim co-director Sally] Lee have met so many inspiring students and remain committed to working with the ERC and the CRO to ensure a fair and open process that will inspire all candidates and voters to bring out and expect the best from themselves and their peers,” he said. 

In the statement published on their website, Berry stated that the by-election vote will not be redone and a new executive will be elected in the upcoming winter general elections. 

According to the email statement, the director’s election is still moving forth. The selected candidates are available on the TMSU’s website. Miller Berry said the TMSU will hold a meeting in early February to confirm this.