Digital Democracy: How to Run in the 2021 SMUSA General Election
Written by Daniel MacGregor
Thumbnail Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Even though the pandemic is keeping most of us at home, someone still has to cut through the arcane issues facing students as they wait to come back to campus. New representatives must be elected each year to take over the torch of student leadership at SMU. This article serves to guide potential candidates through the nomination and election process so you can serve your fellow students as an elected official on campus.
The details of the election process were covered in SMUSA’s annual general meeting on January 28th, 2021, an election info session (February 4th, 2021), and are currently available on SMUSA’s website. Before we dive in, note that running for office is not the only way to get involved with SMUSA or the general university community at Saint Mary’s. There are a plethora of ways to get involved; various jobs that will have openings at the end of the semester (with one current open position being the Health Plan Coordinator), diverse line up of one time events (such as trivia nights), a wide range of student societies (such as the Biology Society), volunteer positions (such as Feed Nova Scotia), and committees (such as the Graduate Advisory Committee). You can even apply for a job here at the SMU Journal!
Furthermore, an election can have as many candidates as a small ticker-tape parade, but if no one votes then no one wins. Historically, SMU has seen some years with pretty low voter turnout. However, when questioned about a potential historic low voter turnout due to the switch to a virtual campus, SMUSA president Bryn de Chastelain replied that this year, he believes there is actually the potential for a strong voter turnout. De Chastelain noted that because we’re all operating online already, an accessible online voting format could encourage more participation from a wide assortment of voters. SMUSA Director of Marketing & Communications, Kevin Mullen, also noted that all necessary information and updates will be posted on the association’s social media channels and official website. So, let’s help spread the word and get that strong turnout. To vote, simply go to the voting website, verify your identity by submitting your A number and banner pin, and vote for your preferred candidates as early as March 8th when voting opens. Candidates will be announced later this month, so be sure to check back in here at the Journal to stay informed and check out the candidate’s platforms.
If you are a SMUdent currently considering running in the election, but you aren’t sure if it’s for you, consider reading our article on Why You Should Run in the 2021 SMUSA Election. If you’ve already made up your mind, keep on reading. As for the election process itself, the first step is getting nominated. The nomination period runs from February 8th to February 18th. There are several positions up for election, the first being the role of President of SMUSA, and five more positions on the Board of Directors. In this process, the prospective candidate (you!) requests a digital nomination form from either the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) or the Deputy Returning Officer (DRO). This can be done from the election page on SMUSA’s site. This is where other students come in. All positions require a number of “signatures,” which, due to the pandemic, has shifted from a physical tree-killing sheet to a lovely digital document most likely powered by coal-burning energy (we really can’t win). In any regard, each candidate receives a digital nomination form, the link to which can be shared with supporters who provide their name and A numbers (all of whom have to be current full-time students of Saint Mary’s). 75 nominations are required for the president position, and 25 for the Board of Directors positions. In other words, in order to run for President, you have to get 75 current SMU students to endorse you and sign their name.
Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash
After getting together a small gaggle of supporters, there still remains some conditions to be met before the votes are cast. First, all candidates must attend a “candidate training session” in order to get the full list of regulations and procedures for the election process. The training session is tentatively scheduled for the 20th of February. This ties into the topic of campaigning, one of the more enjoyable aspects of elections. All campaign material must be approved by either the CRO or the DRO. Further, new this year because of the pandemic, all events and materials must be online/virtual only. In essence, follow the rules or face the repercussions, and no American Election style attack ads - in university elections, try to keep everything civil and focused on the important issues that affect the student body.
Next, it’s time to get all the candidates together to see who can sell themselves the best. For those running for President, you can expect to participate in a debate with other candidates. Board of directors’ candidates, on the other hand, take part in a forum. The forum consists of a short introductory speech, a number of preplanned questions asked by the moderator, and then the floor is opened to students to ask questions. The debate is similar, but the speech portion is usually longer and there is sometimes a guest speaker, such as a local politician. So, be prepared to give an impassioned speech with all your heart (or a last-minute slapped together plea, but that’s up to you) as to why you would be the best pick for the position you are running for. Following the speeches, the student body will have the chance to test the candidates with an assortment of questions. As of right now, the Presidential Debate is set for March 5th, and the Board Forum is set for March 4th, 2021 (probably on zoom, but platform TBA)
As for the special day in question, voting for all students begins on March 8th, 2021 (date subject to change). Before the votes fly, however, it is a requirement that you remove all your campaign material by Sunday, March 7th, 2021. More details on this particular clause will be provided by the CRO/DRO at the candidates’ training session. In essence, purge all your social media campaign posts like you are expecting a raid from CSIS (yeah, that’s right, Canada has a spy agency).
With all this information in tow, you should be ready to face the rose smelling world of student politics or at least cast a ballot. Go out there, make our world at SMU a better place with your amazing ideas!