The highly controversial by-election for SSMU VP Internal has come to an end, with Alexei Simakov losing his bid by a 51.7% ‘No’ vote against his candidacy. The election had a turnout of 16.7%. Following the withdrawal of Céleste Pagniello’s candidacy, Simakov became the sole contender for the campaign. However, his candidacy drew much criticism, which was epitomized by a “Vote No” campaign. The campaign, citing Simakov’s lack of transparency and experience, encouraged students to vote against Simakov as VP Internal.
Simakov’s failure to gain sufficient votes means that the Chief Electoral Officer must now declare a Nomination Period, followed by regular nomination rules and procedures. Any member of SSMU is eligible to declare themselves a candidate. This, of course, includes previous candidates.
The results of the fall referendum are as follows:
Creation of a SSMU Safety Network Fee – Yes (75.3%)
Increase the CKUT Fee – No (54.7%)
SSMU Involvement in Student-Run Cooperatives – Yes (79%)
Yearbook Fee (Part 1) – Yes (56.9%)
Yearbook Fee (Part 2) – Yes (76.6%)
