Record Participation Expected for Pasadena City College Associated Students Election as Voting Goes Online

Students at the Pasadena City College will be voting online for the first time during this year’s Associated Students (AS) Executive Board elections, with the college hoping for a much larger turnout than usual.

PCC’s Office of Student Life said students can now pick up candidate application packets from the office at CC-105. These must be turned in no later than 4 p.m. on April 1, 2016.

A report on the PCC Courier said in line with the new voting software, students will receive a message to their school-provided email addresses, including a link that will allow them to vote only once, and only during the permitted voting days on April 20 and 21.

On those voting days, PCC students will vote for nine vice presidents, each concerning a different area of student government; a student trustee who represents students at the Board of Trustees; and a Chief Justice of the Supreme Council, who ensures AS compliance with their governing documents.

“What a lot of folks don’t realize is the amount of commitment this takes. Because they really are truly involved in the governance of the college,” Carrie Afuso, Student Affairs Advisor, said as she encouraged students to apply while also cautioning them about the workload involved.

To apply as a candidate, a student must meet certain requirements such as having completed 12 units at PCC and maintaining a 2.0 GPA.

Ricardo Patlan, Vice President of External Affairs, said some personality traits are also highly recommended.

“Certainly people look for someone who is passionate and someone who has some experience in leadership,” Patlan said.

Aside from voting for executive board candidates, students will also vote on some AS constitutional amendments, among them an amendment to establish the supremacy of AS Constitution over all other governing documents, and one that changes the process for the executive board to call special meetings.

Any changes to the constitution must be approved by two-thirds of student voters.

The PCC Courier report said students sitting as AS executive officers typically receive a stipend courtesy of the Flea Market on condition of fulfilling their duties.