2026 Campus Elections

Dear UC Santa Cruz campus community,

The Dean of Students Office is reaching out to share with the campus community the updated deadline for initiating ballot referenda for the 2026 Campus Elections. 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 2026 Campus Elections. 

The elections will be held during spring quarter, beginning at noon on Monday, April 27, and closing at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026.

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 2026 Campus Elections ballot, please be sure that at least one representative from your author group attends one of the mandatory Campus Elections Orientation sessions. 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. 

All potential referenda authors are also required to submit a completed 2026 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. 

Mandatory Elections Orientations will be held on Zoom:

• Wednesday, January 14 4-5 p.m.
• Friday, January, 16 12-1 p.m.
• Tuesday, January 20 from 10-11a.m.

Orientation sessions will also be recorded and posted to the campus elections website. Please email Campus Elections Commissioner, trbecker@ucsc.edu if you have questions or clarifications that you would like answered prior to the orientation. The orientation will feature examples of campus referenda from previous election years. 

Please note that submission of this application along with draft referendum language for those groups proposing a new fee or fee amendment are now due Monday, January 26, 2026, by 12 noon.

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.

For more information or to request accommodations please contact Travis S. Becker, Campus Elections Commissioner and Associate Dean of Students for Leadership and Engagement at trbecker@ucsc.edu.

In community,

Travis S. Becker
Campus Elections Commissioner 
Associate Dean of Students for Leadership and Engagement