Students are encouraged to get involved in electing new representatives to the CSU.
Sheila Arellano // News Editor.
Photo by // Tae Hoon Kim
The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) by-elections will take place from Oct. 8 to 10. On these dates, students will choose the next CSU representatives, filling vacancies on the CSU Board of Directors and positions within the Capilano Business & Professional Society (CBPS). “Filling these positions is important because it provides the opportunity for more student perspectives as well as greater representation of student groups,” said President and Vice-President Equity & Sustainability Emily Bridge.
As the CSU speaks on behalf of all Capilano students, it is crucial for the Capilano community to participate by lending their votes and informing themselves on the nominated candidates. Since 2018, the process has been held online in order to facilitate voting accessibility and to reduce paper waste. Electronic ballots will be sent through the CapU email on the morning of Oct. 8. “The CSU hires an external, third-party elections chief and uses an externally run online voting platform to ensure impartiality,” Bridge said.
From the nomination period, which took place between Sept. 17 and 25, nominees were selected, and those approved will continue to campaign until elections take place.
All Capilano students are eligible to vote, and both new and returning students are welcome and encouraged to run in the by-election. If running is not an interest, Bridge noted that there are other ways to get involved in the process. “We’re presently seeking volunteers to assist with our Get Out the Vote campaign, which seeks to encourage students to vote in the 2019 federal election,” she said.
“We’re always looking for students to attend and participate in CSU standing committees and collectives. The CBPS has seven different student associations with countless involvement opportunities,” Bridge said, noting that the CSU staff aim to be accessible, and welcome any questions from students who wish to stay informed or get involved on campus.
For students wishing to stay informed, two candidate forums will be held on campus during the first week of October, and all students are welcome to attend. “Candidates will be invited to answer prepared questions as well as some from the audience,” Bridge explained. “The candidate forums are scheduled to take place in the CSU Members Centre on October 1 and 3 from noon to 1:30pm on each day. [Candidate statements] will also be posted on the CSU website during the campaign period.”
The CSU calendar is available online for anyone who wishes to review the dates of upcoming events. Also, it is strongly recommended that students visit the election page of the CSU website and visit the CSU Members Centre for more information as no question is too small. If students are interested in learning more about positions, job descriptions, important dates and old election reports, they can acquire all the available information on the CSU website.