Associated Students of Portland State University announced the results of the 2018 student government elections at noon on Friday, May 4 in the Simon Benson House. Voter turnout was down from last year: a total of 981 votes were cast—approximately 3.5 percent of the student body—compared to 1369 votes, or 4.7 percent last year.
Students elected Luis Balderas Villagrana and Lelani Lealiiee ASPSU president and vice president, respectively. Both candidates ran unopposed.
Student Fee Committee seats went to Violet Gibson, Isatou Jallow, Tristin Crum, Jose Rojas-Fallas, Jake Schlack, Willis Homann and former ASPSU Vice President Donald Thompson III. Candidates Julieta Castro, Emily Korte, Hakan Kutgun, Antonio Levia, Fatima Preciado Mendoza, Gregory Retz, Gavin Schneider, Roosevelt Sowka, Camilo Abreu Assad, Nathaniel Torry-Schrag, Patrick Meadors, Isaac Harper, Gabriel Loyd, Jaleesa Gonzales, Kaden Burdick and Mason Mimi Yadira were elected to ASPSU senate.
Students also voted in favor of a referendum to amend ASPSU’s constitution by a margin of 894-76. According to ASPSU’s voter pamphlet, proposed constitutional changes include removal of the president, vice president and executive directors from the voting rolls of the student senate; addition of a presidential veto power; installation of the vice president as the permanent senate chair and clarification of language surrounding academic ineligibility and impeachment for ASPSU representatives.
Students interested in more information on election results, candidates or constitutional amendments should consult ASPSU’s website, Facebook page, Twitter or official 2018 voter pamphlet.
I am a fourth-year student in the University Honors College studying political science and Arabic. I started with Vanguard in August 2017 as a reporter for the international section before becoming international editor at the beginning of this year. I have been working with the news team since spring 2018. As news editor, I am responsible for curating, editing and reporting on content relating to the goings-on of PSU and its surrounding area while working with a team of reporters to accurately and responsibly inform the campus community.
