Students will likely be able to file for new ASUO positions today after a ballot measure to reform finance committees passed overwhelmingly Thursday.
The ASUO special election to change one finance committee and create a new one passed, 676 votes to 177.
“That’s in the ballpark of normal special elections turnout,” ASUO outreach coordinator Andrew Jenson said.
Senate President Athan Papailiou, a proponent of the budget reform, said, “I’m surprised at how high the voter turnout was, but I’m glad that it was high.”
The reform was designed to give a more even workload to each committee.
As of late Thursday afternoon, the ASUO Constitution Court had not issued a formal ruling on the new structure of Senate and committee seats affected by the special election.
But Elections Coordinator Kendell Tylee said it was likely the seat representing journalism students would be moved from seat 10 to seat 20. Two new Senate seats and three new committee seats will be created.
Tylee said candidates running for what had been the Athletic Department Finance Committee would be given advanced notice that they will need to decide whether to run for the new Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee or the Department Finance Committee.
There will also be two at-large seats on each new committee.
A grievance against Tylee is pending before the court. Filed by presidential candidate Sam Dotters-Katz, the grievance says the special election was “poorly planned and timed” and candidates did not know which position they were running for.
Dotters-Katz requests either “an immediate injunction” to the special election or that any changes stemming from the election be postponed for a year.
The election ended at noon Thursday. Tylee said the results will be binding for next year because the measure included a clause that the changes “will be enacted immediately.”
Filing will be open for all students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in the ASUO office in EMU Suite 4.
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