2023 A.S. Election concludes with 20.7% turnout

The 2023 A.S. Spring General Election concluded on April 27 with a 20.7% voter turnout. Results were released live in the UCen Hub the same night.

The full slate of elected senators, executives, passed reaffirmations and fee directives can be viewed here. 

The election was the first year without a party system, following the passage of a constitutional amendment banning party affiliation for senatorial and Internal Vice President candidates. All executive and senatorial candidates this year ran Independent.

All fee reaffirmations passed. All fee increases but the KCSB fee increase passed, failing by a 53.35% — 1,491 votes — “No” vote. 

The two constitutional amendments up for vote — ‘Specify Executive Orders as an Explicit Power of the President’ and ‘Update Duties of International Senators’ — passed.

1,776 students started a ballot but did not finish, A.S. Elections Board announced before releasing results. Full election results can be found on the A.S. Elections Board website.

This year marked a return to the in-person release of results, the last of which occurred during the 2019 A.S. Spring General Election. Candidates and their supporters congregated in the Hub on Thursday night to watch their efforts come to fruition.

Third-year political science major Tessa Veksler won the race for president with 38.5% of a total 4,402 votes, beating her opponents, third-year statistics & data science and political science double major Jack Stein and third-year film and media studies and economics double major Andrew Devine. 

“I’m very very grateful that students have trusted me with one of the greatest responsibilities and I hope I make them proud,” Veksler said. 

Stein, who lost with 35.7% of the vote, declined to comment. 

Devine, who lost the election with 23% of the vote, said that although he was sad about the results of the election, he was grateful for the support he had received from the campus community.

“I am warm of the heart, incredibly thankful to the transfer community for turning out in the way that they did,” Devine said. “I am disappointed with the results, but excited to see what Tessa is able to achieve, and I wish her the best of luck,” he said. 

Presidential candidate Lucian Scher lost with 2.6% of the vote. Scher was not available for comment.

Third-year economics and philosophy double major Sohum Kalia won the race for Internal Vice President with 46.6% of the vote, beating out his opponents third-year engineering major Jacob Eisner and third-year chemical engineering and biochemistry double major Jessy Gonzalez.

“Everything I’ve said in my last few candidate statements, I’m gonna keep completing them [during my term]. Check those boxes,” Kalia said. 

Gonzalez lost by 22.17%, and he said he’ll continue to help out within A.S. in various offices.

Eisner did not provide a comment.

Third-year political science major Vero Caveroegusquiza won her unopposed bid for External Vice President for Statewide Affairs.

“It was really nice seeing that a lot of people did end up voting for me even though I was unopposed,” she said. “I’m very excited to be able to do the work that I plan to next year in order to help our undocumented students, to help all our students.”

Second-year economics and history double major Nathan Lee won his unopposed race for Student Advocate General. Lee was not available for comment.

Third-year psychological & brain sciences major Osaze Osayande won the race for External Vice President for Local Affairs with 67.91% of the vote, beating out her opponent, third-year political science and writing & literature double major Kellen Beckett.

“I’m so grateful to my student body for entrusting me with this position, and I’m so excited to make all my platform points a reality and work for the betterment of our community,” Osayande said.

Beckett was not available for comment.

Alex Levin and Atmika Iyer contributed reporting.