2021 Associated Students Election Kicks Off

Election season comes to Santa Monica College.

Santa Monica College’s (SMC) 2021-2022 Associated Students (A.S.) Board Elections are underway. Thirteen positions are open for student applicants, with the deadline for completing the online election packet being this coming Tuesday, March 16, at 5 p.m. Applicants are also required to attend a mandatory candidate meeting, the last of which will be held on Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. over Zoom.

On the morning of Thursday, October 15th, 2020, the main campus of Santa Monica College is empty, because since March the COVID-19 pandemic has forced classes to be online only. This morning the annual earthquake drill took place, and was over in a few minutes as there is only a small administrative and maintenance staff still on campus. (Marco Pallotti |The Corsair)

The election itself will take place from March 29 until April 1, with results scheduled to be announced on April 2. Voting will be conducted online through Corsair Connect, the same website SMC students use for enrollment services, fee payments, and other school-related activities.

Voter participation plummeted in last year's A.S. election amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and a sudden switch to an all-digital learning environment. The 2020 election saw a 79% decrease in voter turnout compared to 2019, dropping from 2,327 to just 490 votes.

A.S. is SMC’s student government, tasked with acting as “the primary liaison between the students and the faculty, staff, and administration,” according to their website. Any SMC student who has paid their $19.50 A.S. membership fee is entitled to discounts at many local businesses, free Big Blue Bus rides through their "Any Time, Any Line" program, access to programs like the Student Relief Fund and Glasses for Classes, as well as other benefits. Student fees are used to fund SMC club activities and projects.

Aspiring candidates will be notified of their eligibility via email by Friday, March 19, with campaigning beginning on Monday, March 22. No candidate will be allowed to campaign in-person at any of SMC’s campuses, due to COVID-19 protocols. Candidates are allowed to have fellow SMC students work on their campaign, so long as they report who the individuals are to the Office of Student Life.

Candidates are also responsible for the actions of their campaign workers. Unlike federal, state, and local politics, A.S. elections prohibit slander and libel during campaigning, as well as the intentional spreading of false or misleading claims. Violations of campaign rules may result in a candidate being disqualified, as well as possible disciplinary action from SMC.

On the morning of Thursday, October 15th, 2020, the main campus of Santa Monica College is empty, because since March the COVID-19 pandemic has forced classes to be online only. This morning the annual earthquake drill took place, and was over in a few minutes as there is only a small administrative and maintenance staff still on campus. (Marco Pallotti | The Corsair)

One option for A.S. candidates is to form a “slate” of up to eight individuals and campaign as a team, essentially forming their own political party. Slates for last years’ election included We Are Here SMC, on which President Tarafi Alan and Vice President Kelsey Molle ran, and Your Voice Heard SMC, whose members included Director of Budget Management Mohamed Najar and Director of Publicity Alexis Gosselin.

“It's been full circle, because I went from being appointed director of instructional support in the spring of 2020, to appointing the new director of instructional support a few days ago,” said Gosselin, who never anticipated running for student government when he first got to SMC. “I explored a few clubs during my first semester, really liked it, and wanted to get involved more. I saw that there was a vacancy on the board for instructional support and decided to run...I did the interview, was appointed by the board, and then I think my peers [in A.S.] then motivated me to run for director of publicity, because I've always been passionate about communications and marketing.”

Positions on the board this year include president, vice president, secretary, and student trustee. Other available positions are separate directors of budget management, student assistance, instructional support, outreach, student advocacy, activities, publicity, and sustainability. A new position of director of equity and diversity has also been established. Individual candidates may only run for one position.

All A.S. directors must be able to serve a full one-year term, from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. They must also be currently enrolled in at least eight units at SMC, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Candidates for the positions of A.S. president and vice president must also have at least one semester of experience holding office at SMC, whether as a director, commissioner, or as part of a club. In addition, they must have completed at least 20 units at the time of their candidacy.

Student trustee candidates must be able to serve a continuous term from June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2022. They must also be currently enrolled in at least five units, while having a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 at SMC. Unlike other positions in A.S., the student trustee must be a resident of California both at the time of nomination and throughout their term of service.

Any A.S. board member who fails to meet these requirements while in office will automatically be removed from their position. Members of the A.S. board are also expected to attend weekly public board meetings, each Monday from 3-5 p.m. All meetings will be virtual until further notice, due to the ongoing pandemic.

Gosselin hopes to help educate and demystify student government for his fellow Corsairs. “I believe that to run for A.S., sometimes people need that insider knowledge. Because it is confusing — the structure may sound confusing, and many students may not know what exactly is student government,” Gosselin said. “One of my main goals during this term, and one of the main goals of the A.S. board this year, is to make sure our board is more transparent and engaging with the student community...to make it more open and accessible for students.”

SMC students can make their voices heard starting Monday, March 29.