ASI Announces 2018 General Election Results

On May 4, CSUSB Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) announced the winning candidates for this year’s campus-wide general election in the SMSU Bay. Students were sent emails reminding them that polls opened on May 2 and closed the following night on May 3 and providing them a link to the official ballot.

The winners of the 2018 general election are as follows: Kristy Robles for Vice President of Finance, Doris Egbo and Mark Sanchez for Student at Large, Yera Yesuto-Diara Nanan for College of Arts & Letters, Tanya Esquivel for College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Daniel Jimenez for Jack H. Brown College of Business & Public Administration, Loma Pashtunyar for College of Natural Sciences, Yomara Donis for Graduate Studies, and Naveena Bellam for International Studies.

The term for these newly elected officials will begin on July 1 of this year and end on June 30, 2019.

The results of the ASI Howl Grant, which was originally established to provide additional funding for clubs and organizations looking to host an event for the following academic year, were also announced.

Students who were eligible to participate in the general election were allowed to allocate up to $3 to a club or organization of their choosing. A total of $7,108 in grant funds were awarded this year.

A run-off election will be held to elect the president and executive vice president on May 9, with the online polls closing the following day at 11:59 p.m.

In order for a candidate to be elected into office, they must receive a simple majority of the votes cast in the general election, as regulated by the ASI Elections Policy & Procedures.

A run-off election is then held between the two candidates who received the largest number of votes in the general election if no candidate receives a simple majority of the votes cast for the office in question.

Even if they voted in the general election, students will have another opportunity to vote for their preferred run-off election candidates through their CSUSB email addresses.

The two candidates for president are Prince Ogidikpe, who has served as ASI’s Executive Vice President, and Mellissa Patton, three-year Student Advocate and Director of External Affairs.

“Running in this election was so important to me because it has given me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and to grow as not just a student but also a man and future leader one day. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our entire student body and to be a voice for all and also those that may sometimes feel like their needs and concerns are not taken into consideration,” said Ogidikpe.

“Running for ASI President is really important to me because I absolutely love what I do and I love serving my fellow students. I think my experience for the last three years in ASI has given me a unique perspective that I can use to really take ASI and the student voice to the next level,” stated Patton.

Also running for the position of executive vice president are candidates Janneth Milian and Helmand Pashtunyar. The results of the run-off election will be announced on May 11 at 12:15 p.m.

Update: The results of the runoff election have been counted. Next year’s ASI President will be Prince Ogidikpe. The Executive Vice President will be Helmand Pashtunyar.