The 2024 UC Santa Barbara Associated Students Spring General Election concluded on April 26, with the Associated Students Elections Board releasing live results in person in the University Center Hub following the closing of ballots at 4 p.m.
Grace Lin / Daily Nexus
Candidates and their supporters congregated in the Hub on Friday afternoon for the announcement, which began at approximately 4:50 p.m.
There were 4,795 students who voted in the election, constituting 22.26% of the UCSB student body. The Associated Students (A.S.) Elections Board announced before releasing the results that 1,066 people started filling out a ballot but did not finish.
The UCSB student body elected second-year political science major Nayali Broadway for A.S. President, third-year art major Açucar Pinto for Internal Vice President (IVP), third-year history of public policy and law major Owen Meyers for External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA), third-year communication and sociology double major Monica Mekhlouf for External Vice President for Statewide Affairs (EVPSA) and second-year computer science major Alvin Wang for Student Advocate General (S.A.G.).
All A.S. fee initiatives and reaffirmations included in the ballot passed.
The full slate of elected senators, executives, passed reaffirmations and fee directives can be viewed on the Nexus website. The election results are also posted on the A.S. Elections Board website.
Grace Lin / Daily Nexus
Every executive candidate that Students for Justice in Palestine at UCSB endorsed in its voter guide was elected in an unprecedented sweep. After the results were announced, victorious candidates gathered and chanted, “Free Palestine.”
Broadway won the race for president with 59.43% of a total 4,395 votes, outnumbering opposing candidates, second-year computer science major Ephraim Shalunov, third-year sociology major Jaz’myne Gates and first-year mechanical engineering and physics double-major Eddie Barajas, who was a write-in candidate.
In an interview with the Nexus, Broadway said she plans to work on amending campus climate as soon as she enters the office.
“I’m so excited, and I’m so happy people trust me to do a good job as president,” Broadway said.
Shalunov lost with 20.36% of the vote and did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Gates lost with 19.32% of the vote and congratulated candidates who won and expressed gratitude for those who voted for her.
“I am super excited for the opportunities that lie ahead and can’t wait to continue the connections as well as grow alongside the campus community,” Gates said in a statement to the Nexus.
Barajas was not present for election results and was unavailable for comment.
Pinto won the race for IVP with 70.84% percent of the vote, beating opposing candidate third-year chemistry major Eric Carlson.
“This has made me so overwhelmingly happy to see that the amount of work that we’ve put in to create community and create platforms is now flourishing,” they said.
Pinto said their first task as IVP will involve financial organization.
“My biggest concern right now is addressing our finances and where that’s going,” they said. “My first step is making sure that everything is in line so we can begin some of our heavier projects that really focus on the students.”
Pinto emphasized their goal to make A.S. a safer place during their term for all students and communities.
“I want to make our school a safer space, and I feel like that starts in our student government, places where our students have more of a voice and support from administrators,” they said.
Carlson said he enjoyed his time in the Senate and being exposed to a “vast variety in difference of opinion.”
“Maybe this entire thing spells out a brighter future for the association in general,” Carlson said.
He said he was “overjoyed” to see Pinto’s longtime engagement to A.S.
“I’m really excited to see [them] work in the future and, in general, see what kind of changes are made that are warranted in the eyes of, again, holders of different opinions,” Carlson said.
Meyers won the race for EVPLA with 65.08% of the vote, defeating second-year political science major Renee Faulk.
“I’m just so happy to have had this opportunity given to me by the student body and I will do my best to represent all students to the best of my ability,” Meyers said.
Faulk said she’s excited to see what Meyers does in his presidency.
“He had a lot of exciting ideas and I’m excited to see what the Senate and the executive slate as a whole does next year,” Faulk said.
Mekhlouf won her unopposed bid for EVPSA. They are preparing to take over current EVPSA Vero Caveroegusquiza’s role by closely shadowing them before they leave.
“I just want to spend these remaining weeks alongside Vero, taking in every single piece of information I can before they leave,” Mekhlouf said.
Wang won his unopposed race for S.A.G. Wang said that because he ran unopposed, he already began making preparations for the role.
“Coming into it, I was really nervous. Not necessarily because of me, but because I know that this election has more impact on the student body than it has in many previous years,” Wang said. “However, I’m excited to start working for the student body.”
Michelle Cisneros contributed reporting.
A version of this article appeared on p. 1 of the May 2, 2024, edition of the Daily Nexus.
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