It’s a sweep for the Drive ticket in UCSU elections
Voters have spoken. And Drive has left no doubt.
Election returns were posted Friday evening, officially declaring the Drive ticket victorious in the spring UCSU elections. Barring any complaints made to the election commissioner, candidates will be commenced into office on May 9.
From top to bottom, members of Drive won all positions that were up for grabs. In the race for Tri-executive, the final count awarded 2,609 votes for Drive. The One ticket came in second with 2,503 votes and Solidarity finished third with 861 votes.
Dustin Farivar, a junior political science major who will be taking over one of the three Tri-executive seats, said Drive’s victory has shown how students on campus have spoken for progress.
“We’re so thankful to the students of CU,” he said.
Taking over alongside Farivar as Tri-executive are junior communication major Victoria Garcia and senior political science major Ryan Biehle. Garcia, jumping up and down in celebration upon seeing the final results, said the feeling is amazing.
“It just shows how much hard work went into everything,” Garcia said. “We really wanted it bad. Clearly, we had the drive.”
The new Tri-executives gathered with the rest of their ticket outside the UCSU offices for a spirited celebration that involved group photos and break dancing. Several members expressed amazement at Biehle’s dance skills as he glided across the hard linoleum.
Farivar said that, upon finding out the news, Drive called to congratulate both the One and Solidarity tickets on a fun campaign week. He said the competition between tickets was what made the elections so great.
“Students are willing to work so hard for what they believe in,” he said.
Tri-executive candidates from One and Solidarity did not immediately return calls for comment.
In all, Election Commissioner Sean Daly said there were 5,979 total votes cast in the UCSU election. Daly, a senior history and economics major, said this was the lowest voter turnout in five years, due in part to the presence of the Conference on World Affairs and snowy weather.
“This year’s turnout has been discouraging, I’ll admit,” he said. “But I firmly believe it would have been lower had a less enthusiastic election commissioner been in office.”
Daly said voter apathy could be reduced in part by integrating UCSU into freshman life. He also said UCSU should consider making the job of election commissioner a yearlong responsibility.
“[The election commissioner] really should be incorporated with contacting addressing the elections with all kinds of departments and campus programs,” Daly said.
Any complaints or contests regarding the election must be filed with Daly by Tuesday. The campaign financial statements for each ticket are also due Saturday by 7 p.m.
WINNERS
Tri-executives: Dustin Farivar, Ryan Biehle and Victoria Garcia (Drive ticket)
Representatives-at-large: Amie Ha (Drive), Dan Omasta (Drive), Neal Wahlia (Drive) and Rasheed Lawal (Drive)
ASSG board members: Joanna Baca (Drive), Christine Cabral (Drive), Wael Khalifia (Drive), Karen Moreno (Drive) and Evy Valencia (Drive)
ASSG co-executives: Ke’Ona Willis (Drive) and Christine Thai (Drive)
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer George Plaven at George.plaven@colorado.edu.
