On Jan. 24, the Associated Students of the University of Oregon certified and confirmed the results of the 2025 winter special election. 

Just 97 students voted, roughly 0.4% of the student body, in an election that lasted from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24, according to the ASUO certified and confirmed election results.

Students voted “yes” on both proposed ballot questions, approving the election reform package and changing academic committee bylaws.

Ninety-one point seven five percent of voters were in favor of ballot question one, which is an amendment to the ASUO Constitution that “refines election timing, streamlines processes and introduces ranked choice voting,” according to the election results. 

Now, regular ASUO elections will take place the second week of spring term with the election lasting from April 7 at 9 a.m. to April 11 at noon.

According to ASUO Elections Commissioner John Watson, the adoption of ranked-choice voting and randomizing ballots will make elections more fair and eliminate the possibility of runoff elections.

“In future elections, we’ll have ranked-choice voting, so you’ll be able to rank the candidates, and that’ll eliminate the need for runoff elections… The candidates being (in) randomized orders on the ballot (will) prevent any sort of bias from someone being higher up or lower down on the ballot,” Watson said.

A runoff election is a secondary election held when a first election does not result in a candidate receiving the majority needed to win.

According to the election results, the ASUO President-elect will now appoint the Election Board Chair immediately after their election, and the chair may appoint an optional non-voting member to oversee election advertising. 

The passing of question one also allows for student organizations to invite candidates to specific I-Fee-funded events.

I-Fees, or Incidental Fees, are fees that all students are required to pay through tuition.

“Let’s say you have a club meeting. If no I-Fee funds are spent at that meeting, then you can invite a candidate there easily, but if you spend I-Fee funds on that meeting, then you need to invite all the candidates to the meeting. If it’s an I-Fee funded event, all candidates have to be there,” Watson said. 

Eighty-eight point five percent of voters voted “yes” on ballot question two, which renames academic senate seats and combines Senate Seat 24 with Senate Seat 21, according to the election results. 

Currently, seats on the academic side of the Senate are called “Academic Senators.” Now, those senate seats will be renamed according to the constituents they represent. 

According to the election results page, titles will include “Arts and Science undergraduate,” “Design Music and Dance undergraduate” and “Business undergraduate,” among others. 

Senate Seat 24, a first-year representative, will be removed, and the responsibilities of that seat will be modified and transferred to Senate Seat 21.

Senate Seat 21 is an academic senator that “serves as a liaison between the student senate and the academic constituencies they represent,” according to the ASUO Structure and Position Guide.

According to Watson, ASUO is hoping to improve voter turnout for coming elections and hopes both ballot measures for this year’s special election will make spring and future elections more efficient.