One UMSU sweeps executive positions

Student election sees highest turnout in years with online voting

Photo of UMSU president Tanjit Nagra in front of the University of Manitoba's administration building.Photo provided by Tanjit Nagra.

In an election with the largest voter turnout in recent memory, One UMSU has won all five executive positions in the 2017 University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) General Elections. The incoming executive will be led by incumbent UMSU president Tanjit Nagra.

Voter turnout reached 27.7 per cent, a full four points higher than the 20-year high set in 2013.

In addition to the One UMSU victory, four community representatives were elected: Zobia Aamir as women’s representative; Chris Otisi as international students’ representative; Noah Wilson as Aboriginal students’ representative; and Sarah White as LGBTTQ* representative.

The students living with disabilities representative position had no nominees this year, and will likely be filled by appointment later 2017.

The final results were:

Executives

President

  • Tanjit Nagra, One UMSU – 3691 votes (64.8 per cent)
  • Oyindamola Alaka, UMSU United – 2009 votes (35.2 per cent)
  • Abstained – 547 votes (8.8 per cent)

Vice-president advocacy

  • Allison Kilgour, One UMSU – 3625 (64.3 per cent)
  • Chance Paupanakis, UMSU United – 2012 (35.7 per cent)
  • Abstained – 610 (9.8 per cent)

Vice-president external

  • Wilfred Sam-King, One UMSU – 3685 votes (65.0 per cent)
  • Mathew Scammell, UMSU United – 1988 votes (35.0 per cent)
  • Abstained – 574 votes (9.2 per cent)

Vice-president finance and operations

  • Jehan Moorthy, One UMSU – 3012 (54.7 per cent)
  • Stephen Paul-Michael, UMSU United – 2490 (45.3 per cent)
  • Abstained – 745 (11.9 per cent)

Vice-president student services

  • Jeremy Semchyshyn, One UMSU – 3222 votes (57.5 per cent)
  • Debbie Steinmann, UMSU United –  2382 votes (42.5 per cent)
  • Abstained – 643 votes (10.3 per cent)

Community representatives

Only two of the five community representative positions were contested in this election.

Contested – international students’ representative

  • Abdul Qadir – 233 votes (23.7 per cent)
  • Chris Otisi – 423 votes (43.0 per cent)
  • Christina Aliu – 328 votes (33.3 per cent)
  • Abstained – 31 votes (3.1 per cent)

Contested – women’s representative

  • Hifza Jalbani – 1604 votes (46.6 per cent)
  • Zobia Aamir – 1836 votes (53.4 per cent)

Uncontested – LGBTTQ* and Aboriginal representatives

  • Noah Wilson, Aboriginal students’ representative – Yes: 3041 votes (89.2 per cent), No: 370 votes (10.8 per cent)
  • Sarah White, LGBTTQ* representative – Yes: 2994 votes (87.5 per cent), No: 426 votes (12.5 per cent)