2023 Campus Elections

To: Campus Community

From: Travis S. Becker, Campus Elections Commissioner

The Dean of Students Office is pleased to announce the 2023 campus elections process. Students, staff, and faculty will have the opportunity to propose new campus-based fees, propose amendments to existing campus-based fee measures, propose amendments to the Student Union Assembly (SUA) constitution, or survey the student community using an opinion poll--all of which can be placed on the official ballot for the 2023 campus election. The election is scheduled to take place this coming spring quarter. It will begin at midnight on Monday, May 8, and end at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023.

You can visit the updated UCSC Campus Elections Website or review the contents of this email to familiarize yourself with this year’s election timeline and policies/steps for initiating various referenda.

If you are interested in initiating a referendum for the 2023 Campus Elections ballot, please review this Orientation Recording. The orientation provides an overview of the Campus Elections process, timeline, relevant policies, and includes resources and guidance on how to author a referendum, opinion poll, or amendment. You’ll note that it’s mandatory to view the entire recording in full if you plan to propose a ballot initiative and that you will be asked to certify that you’ve viewed it when you submit your application to place an item on the ballot. If a team of students is working in collaboration with a campus administrative unit, we encourage them to view the orientation recording as well.

All potential referenda authors are also required to submit a completed 2023 Campus Elections Application. Additionally, if an author is proposing a new student fee OR proposing an amendment to an existing student fee measure, they are also required to submit the Supplemental Fee Measure Referenda Form. Please note that submission of this application along with draft referendum language for those groups proposing a new fee or fee amendment for facility-related projects, are due Friday, February 10, 2023 by 11:59 p.m.. The updated deadline for all other (non-facility related) referenda is Monday, February 13, 2023 by 11:59 p.m..

The elections website provides important tools to support ballot authors with initiating referenda for the spring election:

The excel budget template to assist you in developing your budget for a fee measure. You may direct questions about the template or other budget issues to Lisa Bishop (libishop@ucsc.edu).
The full campus elections policy .
Helpful links to recent examples of ballot language for fee measures, an opinion poll, and a SUA constitutional amendment.
Examples of various fee measures from previous elections cycles in the campus elections archive.

For more information or to request accommodations please contact Travis S. Becker, Campus Elections Commissioner and Assistant Dean of Students for Strategic Initiatives & Policy Analysis at at trbecker@ucsc.edu.