This year’s CUSA elections will now be held approximately two months earlier than in previous years.

The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) announced an earlier writ drop at their final meeting of the fall term after a unanimous vote by the council on Dec. 5.

“And we have another election,” said Shawn Humphrey’s with a bang of the gavel as the meeting is adjourned #CUSAElection2018 #CUSADec05 @CharlatanLive — bailey (@moreton_bailey) December 6, 2018

The candidate nomination period will be held from Jan. 16 to Jan. 18. Forms will be available at the Elections Carleton office, located in 129B University Centre. This will be followed by a required two-day blackout period from midnight of Jan. 21 to an. 22 at 11:59 p.m.

Candidates running for the president or any of the six vice-president positions (finance, internal, student life, student services, and student issues) are given a budget of $600, an increase of $150 from the previous year.

Nada Ibrahim is the newly established Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), with Tyler Boswell and Sahaana Ranganathan being elected as Deputy Electoral Officer (DEO).

Brennan Dube, Omada Agom, AJ Mawani, Raya Khawaja, Douglas Cochrane are the elected members of the electoral board, approved unanimously #CUSAElection2018 #CUSADec05 @CharlatanLive — bailey (@moreton_bailey) December 6, 2018

Ibrahim said increasing expenses for running campaigns is the reason for the jump to a $600 budget. “Not all students will reach the $600 limit, but it is there because it is their in case they do need it.”

All other elected positions—faculty councillors—will be given a budget of $200 for their campaigns.

Scott Braddon, a councillor for the Faculty of Business, raised concerns from last year about “not a lot of students knowing they could run” and how council will prevent confusion from happening again.

Ibrahim said an election workshop, called “Elections 101,” will be held in early January to help interested students understand what positions are available and the process. Ibrahim also said hiring the CEO also will help start the elections process and to start advertising earlier.

CUSA elections will be advertised similarly to last year through posters, on their website, in emails sent out to all students through their Carleton addresses and this year they will add links on the student portal, according to the CEO.

The campaign period for all positions will be held between Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 12 p.m. until Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 11:59 p.m.

The voting period will be held online from Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 6 a.m. to Thursday, Jan. 31 at 11:59 p.m. Students will receive their ballots via their school email address.

Shawn Humphrey, CUSA council chair, said he encourages students who have more questions about the election should contact the Chief Electoral Officer at elections@cusaonline.ca or visit the CUSA Elections Office, as well as the elections webpage on CUSA’s website.

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