It’s AMS Elections season!

Here’s everything you need to know before you cast your vote

The sun is out, campus is bustling, and every inch of bulletin board in the Nest is covered in campaign materials — that can only mean one thing: it’s AMS Elections Season!

Students, you have a chance to vote on who will represent you in the AMS, Senate and Board of Governors next year.

There are also four referenda on the ballot on health care, bylaw changes and the Bike Kitchen fee. It’s especially important to vote on these because if eight per cent of the total student body doesn’t vote ‘yes,’ the referendum doesn’t pass — no matter if a majority of students who voted vote in favour.

If you’re still deciding who to vote for, we’ve published profiles on every candidate and explainers of all the referendum items. You can find all our elections coverage here, or in this week’s print issue (with a print exclusive explainer of all the positions)!

And if you are still deciding on whether to vote at all, read our op-ed to hear more of our thoughts on why this election matters (TL;DR you should vote ‘cause there are real choices to be made on the ballot!).

Voting closes this Friday at 5 p.m., so be sure to make your voice heard!

— Anabella McElroy and Nathan Bawaan
Print and Web News Editors

Check out our latest issue!

NEWS

AMS Elections 2023: Candidate profiles

By Ubyssey news staff

Mahin E Alam / The Ubyssey

Here is a list of all of your AMS elections candidates.

PRESIDENT

VP ADMINISTRATION

VP ACADEMIC AND UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

VP EXTERNAL

VP FINANCE

SENATE

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

________________________________________________

By Bernice Wong, Himanaya Bajaj, Farzeen Ather, Bridget Chu and Queenie Kwan

Isabella Falsetti / The Ubyssey

Election season involves more than just voting for candidates — voting on referendum questions is another way to have your say about what happens in the AMS.

There are four referenda on the ballot this year, all of which were put on the ballot by the AMS and endorsed by AMS Council.

In addition, 8 per cent of the student body — this year, 4,918 students — must vote ‘yes’ for the referendum to pass. Even if a referendum gets a majority ‘yes’ votes, if it doesn’t reach quorum, it fails.

Read on for more context on each referendum question so you can make an informed choice when filling out your ballot.

________________________________________________

IN OTHER NEWS

OPINION

By Anonymous

Isabella Falsetti / The Ubyssey

I saw them exchange glances and judgements as we spoke. As my friends and I broke down standing at the back of the room and among the councilors, some council members were smirking. I thought to myself, what is bringing them joy in this moment? Is it our fear? Our ability to risk our lives by speaking up and exposing ourselves to the council? Or is it their fear?

________________________________________________

By Ubyssey news staff

Isabella Falsetti / The Ubyssey

All year, we’ve been attending governance meetings and keeping an eye on what’s going on in the AMS, Senate and Board of Governors. We’re familiar with the issues and the pressures of each position in student government. This elections season, we talked to all the candidates, attended all the debates and fact-checked their claims and platforms. Here’s the result.

We’re not here to tell you who to vote for, but we will be honest about each candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. Behold, The Ubyssey’s guide to all of the 2023 AMS Elections candidates.

FEATURE

By Paloma Green and Anabella McElroy

Bessie Guo / The Ubyssey

The story of the Student Legal Fund society starts with a sit in that resulted in a group of students suing UBC. But that's not where the story ends.

BLOG

By Ubyssey staff

Jasper Dobbin / The Ubyssey

Welcome to The Ubyssey's second cartoon caption contest! This one is AMS Elections-themed. Fill out the Google Form below or at this link to submit your caption for this UBC-themed cartoon, drawn by Ubyssey contributor Jasper Dobbin.

CULTURE

By Ekatarina Gofsky

Courtesy Wen Wen Lu

Although the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) and UBC's many art galleries are only a five-minute walk from each other, researchers and artists can seem to be in different worlds entirely. Dr. Leila Harris and artistic director Kendra Fanconi aim to change that fact. Harris and Fanconi are working to create a collaborative space for BC-based artists and academics to collaborate called the Makers’ Lab, highlighting themes of loss, trauma and climate anxiety.

SCIENCE

By Lauren Kasowski

Anya Anber Ameen / The Ubyssey

UBC has introduced a new undergraduate neuroscience specialization for bachelor of science students. Introduced for the 2022/23 academic year, the program is a collaboration between the Faculties of Science, Arts and Medicine. The program is interdisciplinary in nature, with students slated to take courses on neuroscience, biology, psychology and more.

THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER

 

Isabella Falsetti / The Ubyssey

The sky reflects on the Alumni Centre at sunset.

We're the best paper on campus, but don't just take our word for it — get involved and find out! Whether you want to write for us, design, take photos or shoot videos, we have it all! Just sign up for our pitchlists or come visit us in the Nest in room 2208.