Make VP elections great again
By: Sasha Dhesi
In June, our SRA essentially deferred a vote on their bylaws that keeps the votes for our Board of Directors secret, as it were in past years. The SRA will vote on the issue at a later meeting, and I hope they will vote to make Vice-Presidential elections open ballot.
It is fair to say that our process for VP elections is not exactly the most democratic; the dilution of opinion from the general public to the representatives is arguably one of the key issues.
Those who are against VP reform regularly argue that we should trust our SRA members to make the right call and we can rest easy knowing that they will represent the needs of our respective faculties. So why hide the vote?
The cornerstone of democracy is not just the process of electing our leaders, it is keeping checks on their power and maintaining a dialogue between the representatives and their caucuses.
But the general public cannot do that if we are not aware of how our representatives are voting.
The SRA is already difficult to access for the general public: people often can’t show up to late Sunday meetings, the minutes can be difficult to find, and the live stream is notorious for its warbled sound.
When it comes to the VP hiring process, the general public is largely locked out until the very end after the VPs have been elected.
Now, there is merit to the occasional secret ballot. The SRA does find itself having to make unpopular decisions that could potentially target students, so it is understandable that some votes be kept secret.
Additionally, secret ballots limit the possibility of voter intimidation and coercion. Secret ballots can be empowering in certain circumstances, and can allow for tough but necessary decisions.
But a secret ballot for something as major as our VPs is ultimately damaging. It forces the general public to simply accept the vote of the SRA and stops any discussion surrounding the results.
While I do trust my representatives to vote in correspondence with the needs of my faculty, I would also like to know their justifications for their votes. And it should go without saying that if you do not want to be held accountable for your opinions, you should not hold a public office.
The VPs shape the MSU’s policies and while I am sure that our current Board of Directors is more than qualified, I would like to know why they are considered more qualified than the other candidates.
And considering the near passing of the VP referendum, it is clear that much of the student body wishes for more accountability from their SRA and a freer dialogue.
The students are speaking, and it is time the SRA listened.
