As the TRUSU Board of Directors prepares for its annual general meeting at the end of the month, the agenda for the event has been posted online, revealing significant proposed changes to electoral bylaws and procedures.
The proposed amendments to the bylaws and policies include changes to where candidates may campaign and the number of clerks assigned to polling stations. Perhaps the most consequential change that the board will consider, however, is the proposed elimination of slates.
In politics, a slate is defined as “a group of candidates that run in multi-seat or multi-position elections on a common platform.” Historically speaking, it has not been uncommon for entire slates of candidates to sweep the TRUSU elections, with last year being the most recent example.
As reported by the Omega last April, the 2024 TRUSU election saw two major slates—the Association for Student Advocacy and Progress (ASAP) and the Progressive Student Advocates (PSA)—competing for 20 seats on the board. The election result saw the ASAP secure a clean sweep, winning every seat for consideration.
Currently, part II(f) of TRUSU Operational Policy 06 (OP-06) states, “No campaign shall collude with another campaign, whether prior to, during or following the campaign period.” If adopted by the board at the AGM, the proposed amendment would read, “No candidate shall collude with another candidate, including the formation of a party or slate prior to, during or following the campaign period.”
Assuming the board approves this change, it will be the first update to policy OP-06 since April 2006.
The TRUSU Board of Directors annual general meeting will be held on Jan. 28 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Mountain Room at the TRU Campus Activity Centre. The Omega will post the results of the bylaw/policy motions the following day.