Chief Returning Officer says slates encourage “underhanded tactics” and recommends they be banned

A file photo of a poll location at Casa Loma campus. Photo: Brittany Barber/The Dialog

A report by the chief returning officer (CRO), Ewa Chchewicz, on the Student Association’s (SA) spring elections slammed the slate system that allows students to run together on teams.

The report states, “slates continue to create an extremely negative environment for the elections, with many students feeling intimidated or victimized by the large teams. It has been my observation that slates create a situation where it is acceptable for the team to use underhanded tactics and spread blame amongst all team members, not feeling responsible themselves.”

The report recommended that cross-campaigning of any sort be abolished.

The CRO’s report also recommended that in the future the ballots for the election be printed externally as “this will end up costing less in over-time and resources.”

As previously reported in The Dialog, polling stations were forced to close early on the first day of voting after running out of ballots for some positions.

The report also recommended that the SA stipulate in their bylaws that the CRO be hired at least three weeks before the nomination period. This year the CRO was hired on Feb. 20 and the nomination period opened on March 2.