ELECTIONS COMMISSION

Head to the Elections website!

Office Mission

The Elections Commission is an independent and neutral branch of ASUCI, tasked with facilitating the fair and impartial administration of the Spring ASUCI General Elections and, if needed, any Special Elections throughout the academic year. Every year, the Spring ASUCI General Elections are held for undergraduate students to: 1) elect the Executive Officers, Student Advocate General, and Senate of ASUCI for the next academic year, and 2) vote on legislative initiatives (propositions), legislative referenda, and fee initiatives (fee referenda). All undergraduate studentsย – regardless of year, major, immigration status, etc. – are entitled to vote in these Elections.

The commission consists of the Elections Commissioner at its head, four (4) Deputy Elections Commissioners – each with an assigned committee (Candidate Coordination, Event Coordination, Investigations, and Marketing) – and a team of dedicated staffers, all of whom serve at the will of the undergraduate student body – all of you! For any questions or concerns regarding any ASUCI Elections, please contact the Elections Commissioner at elections@asuci.uci.edu.

The Elections Commission is empowered by Article X of the ASUCI Constitution and the ASUCI Elections Code.

Head to the Elections website!

Jun Jang (he/him)ย | ์žฅ์˜์ค€
2024-2025 Elections Commissioner
elections@asuci.uci.edu

COMMISSION VALUES

Independence

Impartiality

Integrity

Transparency

Efficiency

Service-Mindedness

Professionalism

GENERAL INFORMATION

DEFINITIONS

Aย Candidateย is any individual running for ASUCI elected office.

Undergraduate students may run for the following offices:

  • ASUCI President
  • External Vice President
  • Internal Vice President
  • Academic Affairs Vice President
  • Student Services Vice President
  • Student Advocate General
  • At-Large Senator
  • School-Based Senator
  • International Senator
  • Transfer Senator

Anย Initiative Coordinator is the point of contact for an initiative on an ASUCI Elections ballot. Such initiatives may be placed on an ASUCI Elections ballot following the submission and validation of a petition or, in some cases, approval from the Senate.

Petitions may be submitted for the following types of initiatives:

  • Legislative Initiative
  • Legislative Referendum
  • Fee Initiative (Initiative Coordinators for Fee Initiatives are also called Referenda Representatives)
  • Recall

Only undergraduate students may submit petitions to ASUCI.

Anย Referendum Representative is the point of contact for a Fee Initiative on the Spring ASUCI General Elections ballot. Such initiatives may be placed on the Spring ASUCI General Elections ballot following the submission and validation of a petition or approval from the Senate.

Your Content Goes Here

Your Content Goes Here

Legislative Initiatives are proposals for ASUCI legislation initiated and voted on by the undergraduate student body. Like normal legislation, Legislative Initiatives affect the policies and practices of ASUCI, capable of amending our governing documents, determining our formal positions on issues as the official representatives of the undergraduate student body, and more.

To file a Legislative Initiative, undergraduate students must submit a Petition for a Legislative Initiative to the Elections Commissioner at elections@asuci.uci.edu. After the petition has been processed, at least 2% of the undergraduate student body must sign onto it within five (5) academic weeks. Should this threshold be met, the Elections Commission has three (3) days to verify the signatures – if all signatures are valid, the Senate must vote on the proposed legislation at their next meeting:

  • Should the Senate pass the legislation, it’ll take effect following all policies and procedures outlined in the ASUCI Constitution and Bylaws.
  • Should the Senate fail the legislation, the Elections Commission must call a special election within fifteen (15) days toย two (2) academic Quartersย to put it to a vote of the undergraduate student body. When applicable, Legislative Initiatives may also be placed on the Spring ASUCI General Elections ballot. A majority vote is required to adopt the legislation, with a minimum voter turnout of 5% of the undergraduate student body.

Alternatively, the Senate may, by a majority vote, place any legislation introduced normally to a vote of the undergraduate student body on the Spring ASUCI General Elections ballot.

Not to be confused with Fee Referenda, Legislative Referenda are requests for ASUCI legislative repeals initiated and voted on by the undergraduate student body. Legislative Referenda are capable of reversing legislation passed by previous ASUCI administrations, provided they’re feasible to reverse.

To file a Legislative Referendum, undergraduate students must submit a Petition for a Legislative Repeal to the Elections Commissioner at elections@asuci.uci.edu. After the petition has been processed, at least 2% of the undergraduate student body must sign onto it within five (5) academic weeks. Should this threshold be met, the Elections Commission has three (3) days to verify the signatures – if all signatures are valid, the Senate must vote on the proposed repeal at their next meeting:

  • Should the Senate pass the repeal, the legislation will be repealed following all policies and procedures outlined in the ASUCI Constitution and Bylaws.
  • Should the Senate fail the repeal, the Elections Commission must call a special election within fifteen (15) days toย two (2) academic Quartersย to put it to a vote of the undergraduate student body. When applicable, Legislative Referenda may also be placed on the Spring ASUCI General Elections ballot. A majority vote is required to repeal the legislation, with a minimum voter turnout of 5% of the undergraduate student body.

Also known as Fee Referenda, Fee Initiatives are proposals for campus-based student fees initiated and voted on by the student body (both undergraduate and graduate, depending on the scope of the proposed fee). Under UC policy, most proposals for campus-based student fees must be approved by the student body before implementation, with very few exceptions.

To file a Fee Initiative, students must submit a fully drafted Fee Referendum to the Student Government Executive Director & Associate Dean of Students at svangink@uci.edu by Friday of Fall Week 7 at 5 pm. For more information on how to create a Fee Referendum and the Fee Referendum process, please refer to this Guide to Creating a Student Fee Referendum at UCI and contact the Student Government Student Media Executive Director & Associate Dean of Students.

Recall refers to the power of the undergraduate student body to remove an ASUCI official. All elected Executive Officers, the Student Advocate General, all Senators, and all Justices may be recalled from office with proper cause and due process.

To recall an official, undergraduate students must submit a Petition for a Recall to the Elections Commissioner at elections@asuci.uci.edu. After the petition has been processed, different thresholds must be met within five (5) academic weeks, depending on the position of the official being recalled:

  • For elected Executive Officers, the Student Advocate General, At-Large Senators, and Special Interest Senators – at least 10% of the votes cast in the last ASUCI Spring General Election for that position or at least 1% of the undergraduate student body, whichever is greater.
  • For School-Based Senators – at least 25% of the votes cast in the last Spring ASUCI General Election for that position or 1% of the undergraduate student body enrolled in the School, whichever is greater.
  • For Justices – at least 1% of the undergraduate student body.

Should the applicable threshold be met, the Elections Commission has three (3) days to verify the signatures – if all signatures are valid, the Commission must call a special election within three (3) academic weeks. When applicable, Recalls may also be placed on the Spring ASUCI General Elections ballot. A majority vote is required to recall the official, with a minimum voter turnout of 2% of the undergraduate student body (or undergraduate student body enrolled in the School in the case of School-based Senators).

GENERAL ELECTIONS TIMELINE

At their discretion, the Elections Commission may host aย Candidate Info Session or a series ofย Candidate Info Sessionsย to acquaint interested students with the basic structure, functions, and authority of ASUCI, explain the elections process, and answer questions students may have about ASUCI and how to get involved. These sessions are not mandatory for students to run for ASUCI elected office, but may provide helpful information to prospective candidates.

Should the Elections Commission choose to host a Candidate Info Session, they’ll most likely be held during either Winter Week 7 or Winter Week 8.

Friday of Winter Week 7, 11:59 pm – The Elections website goes live and the Filing period officially begins. Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted for all elected offices. Slate Declarations will be accepted.

Friday of Winter Week 10, 5:00 pm – The Filing period officially closes. Declarations of Candidacy will no longer be accepted for all elected offices.

Spring Week 1 – The Campaigning period officially begins.

  • FOR CANDIDATES: At least one mandatory candidates’ meeting will be held during this week to go over the Elections Code, general timeline and expectations, complaint process, etc.

Friday of Spring Week 1, 5:00 pm – Slate Declarations will no longer be accepted.

Spring Week 2 – Debate Week officially begins. The following is a sample debate schedule that may or may not be used for this year’s ASUCI General Elections:

  • Monday – Senate + Referenda
  • Tuesday – Student Advocate General + Student Services Vice President
  • Wednesday – Academic Affairs Vice President + Internal Vice President
  • Thursday – External Vice President + President

Monday of Spring Week 3, 9:00 am – The Voting period officially begins.

Friday of Spring Week 3, 5:00 pmย – The Voting period officially closes.

  • FOR CANDIDATES: Candidate Financial Forms and Slate Financial Forms will be due by this deadline.

Sunday of Spring Week 4, 5:00 pm – Complaint Formsย will no longer be accepted.

Tuesday of Spring Week 4, 5:00 pmย – All complaint decisions of the Elections Commission will be released by this deadline at the latest.

Wednesday of Spring Week 4 – Elections results without pending complaints will be released

Thursday of Spring Week 4, 5:00 pm – Appeals to the Judicial Board for decisions released on Tuesday of Spring Week 4 will no longer be accepted.

Tuesday of Spring Week 5, 4:00 pmย – All appeal decisions of the Judicial Board will be released by this deadline at the latest.

Tuesday of Spring Week 5, 5:00 pm – All Elections results will be released.

Join the Elections Commission!

Interested in joining the team that makes ASUCI possible? Looking to get involved on campus, build your leadership skills, and meet new friends? Great news – the ASUCI Elections Commission may be the place for you! The Elections Commission is a great place to start getting involved on campus since our work often brings us into contact with all different corners of the university. For those of you looking to get further involved with ASUCI in the future, it also provides an understanding of the student government that’ll prove to be a strong foundation for your time as a student leader. Whether you’re interested in event planning, marketing, outreach, or something that’s uniquely for YOU, there’s something for everyone in the Elections Commission! So what’re you waiting for – apply today!