Welcome to the info page for the AS Spring Election!
The declaration period is from Wed 3/6 8pm to Fri 3/15 11:59pm
If you’re interested, please review the graphics below to learn more about the election & learn how to declare your candidacy online!
Graphic #1: 2021 Elected AS leadership positions (32 in total) Click the graphic to enlarge.
Graphic #2: Learn how to declare your candidacy. The form can be found on this website and only takes a few minutes to complete. The deadline to submit the form is Friday, March 15th at 11:59pm. Click the graphic to enlarge.
Frequently Asked Questions:
BEFORE/DURING DECLARATION:
I’m a first-year or a transfer student. Can I still participate?
Yes! There are many first-years, as well as transfers, that run every year. You can run if you meet the following eligibility requirements:
Senators:
- Enrolled at UCSB with at least 6 units during this Winter quarter & 6 units next Spring quarter
- 12 units completed at UCSB before the end of Winter quarter
- Must run for a position that is in your constituency (e.g. only those in the College of Letters & Science may run for L&S Senator)
- At least a 2.0 GPA
Executives:
- Enrolled at UCSB with at least 6 units during this Winter quarter & 6 units next Spring quarter
- At least 60 units completed
- At least 24 units completed at UCSB before the end of Winter quarter + enrollment at UCSB for at least two preceding quarters, including the current Winter quarter
- 36 additional units, which are allowed to be transfer or AP units
- At least a 2.0 GPA
If you have further questions about eligibility (e.g. you don’t know whether you qualify), scroll all the way down for contact information.
I want to run for Senate but I don’t know what the positions mean.
You must run for a seat in the constituency that you plan to represent (for example, only those that plan to live on-campus next year may run for on-campus Senator). The specific eligibility requirement for each seat is provided below.
Residential (18 total)
(5) On-campus Senators: Plan to live in the residence halls next school year
(1) Uni-owned Apartment Senator: Plan to live in the uni-owned apartments next school year
(12) Off-campus Senators: Plan to live anywhere not on-campus, including IV and Goleta
Collegiate (6 total)
(4) College of Letters & Science (L&S) Senators: Student in the College of L&S
(1) College of Engineering (CoE) Senators: Student in COE
(1) College of Creative Studies (CCS) Senators: Student in CCS
Additional (3 total)
(2) International Senators: Must be an international student
(1) Transfer Senator: Must have transferred to UCSB from another university or junior college
How do the residential senator positions work?
You will be expected to fulfill the residency requirement of living in your own constituency. To ensure students are being represented correctly, a residence check is normally conducted at the start of each quarter. Your seat may be vacated if it is found next year that you do not meet this requirement.
The registration form is asking me for a “political party”? What is that?
A “political party” is a group of students that run together. They are campus-specific and 100% student-run; they are NOT the D’s and R’s. If you are interested in a political party, you should contact the specific party you’d like to join. Parties may now only represent the President, External Vice President of Statewide Affairs, and the External Vice President of Local Affairs.
You have the choice of running with a party or you may forgo that option and run as an “independent”. Note that independent does not mean you have to do everything by yourself; you can still have friends help with your campaign, campaign managers, etc. The independent designation only means “no political party”.
For Spring 2024, please select “Independent” as your party as no party has yet submitted for approval.
Can I run if I plan to study abroad next year?
Senators are still eligible if you plan to study abroad, as long as your program does not exceed one (1) quarter in length.
If I am elected, how long is my term and when do I begin?
These leadership positions are for 12 months. The 2024-25 Senate/Exec class will be sworn in and begin their term shortly after the election, likely around early May of this year.
AFTER DECLARATION:
I’ve completed my declaration form. What do I do next?
The next step is the mandatory candidate orientation meeting, also called the “Declaration of Candidacy” meeting. You will receive an email within 24 hours of your declaration with a link to register yourself for this year’s meeting on Friday, April 1st at 6pm. The meeting is mandatory in order to run.
I can’t make it to that mandatory meeting. Can I still run?
If you are not able to attend due to a work/school conflict, you can choose to send a proxy in your place who is capable of taking notes for you. A proxy can be any other UCSB student, but it cannot be another candidate in the election. If you must miss the meeting, you must email elections@as.ucsb.edu after your declaration so we can send you specific instructions on how to register a proxy. Approval of proxies are subject to a vote of the Elections Board, depending on your reason for missing the meeting.
What are the important dates for this election?
Declaration Form Due: Wed 3/15/24 @11:59pm (Week 10 of Winter quarter)
Candidate Meeting: Monday 4/1/24 @6pm {Location TBD} (Week 1 of Spring quarter)
Supplement Due*: Sun 4/14/24 @8pm
Campaigning Begins: Sun 4/14/24 @8pm
Voting Period: Mon 4/22/24 @8am to Thurs 4/25/24 @4pm
Results: Thurs 4/25/24 evening TBA
* We will go over all details about the supplement during the candidate meeting.
Questions
Questions about the 2024-25 election at-large can be sent to César Castillo, Elections Chair at elections@as.ucsb.edu. If you have a more complex inquiry, you can also schedule a Zoom meeting with a board member by emailing the same address.
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