The Union's Balloting Task Force recently proposed three new amendments to the constitution to be placed on voting system during spring elections.The Senate hopes the new amendments will clarify and change election procedures and better define the duties of elected officials.

Treasurer Andrei Khots '05 and F-Board Chair Mark Schlangel '05 drafted a separate amendment to allow students studying abroad to vote in Union elections.

Brandfon said he planned to have all of the amendments on the ballot sooner, but that he was preoccupied with getting the recent financial amendment passed.

"I think it was a good decision to wait until the officer elections," Schlangel said.

This delay caused some controversy last month when Khots and Schlangel wanted to run their amendment on the ballot before the Task Force had finished their research.



Task Force's first amendment

This amendment stipulates that a candidate must also be a constituent of the office he or she wishes to represent. It also establishes and clarifies the position for Chief of Elections.

"In the past, the Secretary could have picked four people to be on the commission to include a section outlining how an elections commission if formed," Union President Joshua Brandfon '05 said. "Now there is a point-person who is responsible for everything. It increases accountability."

This amendment also clarifies that any senator who wishes to resign must give the Secretary more advance notice.

"A current officer seeking vacant position must resign his/her position before the start of the candidate sign up period," the reference guide reads. "This is to ensure that the Union does not need to hold special elections again and again to fill the positions of constantly resigning officers."



Task Force's second amendment

This amendment explains how a sponsor can place a petition on the ballot. It also clarifies that Union members reserve the right to argue either against of for an amendment

This amendment also details how many student or Senate votes a petition requires to be placed on the ballot.



Task Force's third amendment

This amendment would enact "Instant Runoff Voting" instead of having two election rounds-it would eliminate primary and final voting.

"In my state of the union address, one of the major initiatives I announced was to restructure elections," Brandfon said. "The goals were to clarify voting processes and ensure that everything was consistent. I wanted the process to be fairer for the candidates."

At Sunday's Senate meeting, Executive Senator Erica Lamansky '05 pointed out that this amendment would disadvantage write-in votes. Previously, if enough people wrote-in a candidate during the primary, this candidate would have a chance of appearing on the ballot during the final round. But now, since there is only one round, a candidate will not be able to appear on the ballot if he or she is running as a write-in.

Brandfon said that while this will disadvantage write-in candidates, it is not a bad thing since at Brandeis there is no barrier to enter the election.

"In the United States, you have to collect a certain amount of signatures and pay a fee," Brandfon said. "If you can't pay that fee or collect signatures, you can run a write-in campaign. But we don't have anything where you have to collect signatures to get on the ballot. Anybody can run to sign up for an election."

Union Vice President Kenneth Gantz '04 said the voters rank their preferences and when a single candidate does not receive a majority of the votes.

"They will automatically be eliminated from [the ballot] until someone wins..."

Brandfon said he hopes the new voting system will increase voter turnout. In the fall of 2003, only 904 of 3088 students voted.



Khots and Schlangel's study-abroad voting amendment

This amendment will allow students studying abroad who are Brandeis degree seeking candidates to vote in Union elections.

Schlangel said he hopes the amendment will pass.

"Andrei and I feel there is a necessity for [students abroad] to vote because they will be present next semester when the people that are now are in office," Schlangel said. "They should have a voice for who is in office."

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Editors Note: Information in this article was obtained from a reference guide from Union President Josh Brandfon '05.