What you need to know about upcoming MSU election

With MSU presidential election and referenda approaching this January, here are some important dates and details to be aware of

The start of the new year and a new semester at McMaster University also brings an important event for McMaster students: the annual MSU presidential election.  

Each year, all McMaster students are eligible to run and vote in the presidential election. In order to run in the election, students must nominate themselves within the nomination period, which is between Dec. 1 and Jan. 13.  

Once the nomination period closes, all candidates will meet and the campaign period will officially begin on Jan. 15. Polling will take place on the online platform Simply Voting, made accessible to students by email, from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26. Between the start of the campaign period and the closing of polls, candidates will have the opportunity to campaign online and on and off campus.  

During the campaign period, the Silhouette will provide coverage of each candidate’s platform, including candidate profiles and platform overviews and critiques.  

Along with voting for presidential candidates, this year students will also be able to vote in referenda regarding whether students should continue to pay fees for McMaster Solar Car, Engineers Without Borders and Hamilton Street Railway.  

Both EWB and McMaster Solar Car are funded by annual student fees under Bylaw 9, which allows for non-university, non-MSU groups to receive funding. The funding for McMaster Solar Car goes towards the construction of a solar car, which the team is working to build. The funding for EWB goes towards a fellowship, awarded to one McMaster student each year. Currently, students pay $1.11 each year to fund McMaster Solar Car and $0.41 for EWB.  

The HSR bus pass, which costs students $232.94, allows all full-time undergraduate students unlimited access to the HSR, from September to August of each year. Every three years, the contract between HSR and the university is renegotiated and students vote through a referendum whether to continue paying for the bus pass.  

The campaign period for the referenda is between Jan. 15 and Jan. 26 and the polling dates are also Jan. 24 to Jan. 26. During the campaign period, MSU members can make campaign teams in support of or against each issue. Students can register to be part of a campaign side, making them campaign side representatives. Campaign sides can use resources with a fair market value of up to $200 for their campaigning.   

More information about MSU elections can be found on the elections website and on Instagram.