The results are in . . .
Photo by Alan Mattson. Eily Sweeney, left, Robert Jones and Erin Delamont will all be joining the SAMRC Executive Council after winning uncontested elections. They will be joined by reelected President Travis McIntosh.
After an election campaign marked by few candidates and low voter turnout, three new faces will join the SAMRC Executive Council.
Eily Sweeney, Robert Jones and Erin Delamont all ran uncontested in the 2009 SAMRC elections and will join returning President Travis McIntosh.
“I feel very confident that this team of people is going make a difference at Mount Royal College,” Sweeney said moments before officially earning the VP student life position.
Sweeney, who previously served as president of Sustainable MRC, feels ready to take on her new student leadership role. She received 481 votes in favour compared to just 65 against. Robert Jones, who previously worked on McIntosh’s successful campaign for president in the byelection last December, will take over the VP external reins and Erin Delamont will serve students as the new VP academic.
2009 SAMRC Executive Results
President: Travis McIntosh
Yes: 480
No: 75VP External: Robert Jones
Yes: 472
No: 77VP Academic: Erin Delamont
Yes: 484
No: 28VP Student Life: Eily Sweeney
Yes: 481
No: 65
“It’s really an awesome team,” said outgoing VP student life Liz McKeown who, along with outgoing VP external Matt Koczkur and VP academic Marie Barnes, will relinquish her position in the coming weeks. “ I am so happy that this group of people is inheriting the work done by Marie, Matt, Travis and myself.”
Like McIntosh, McKeown was elected for a second tenure as VP student life during last semester’s byelection. She described this campaign as bittersweet.
“The work really does consume you but at the same time it is the best job I have ever had,” she said. “I have been at Mount Royal for so long and it is time for me to move on.
“I have had the pleasure of working with extremely knowledgeable people who also became fantastic friends.”
The greatest number of votes was cast in the presidential poll, where McIntosh earned 480 votes in favour compared to 75 against. In comparison, 1,158 votes were cast in the three-way presidential race last semester.
The low voter turnout forced the referendum vote over whether the SAMRC should switch to a preferential voting system for future elections to be thrown out despite receiving 310 votes for compared to 146 against. In order for a referendum to considered official at least five per cent of the more than 10,500 students eligible to vote must cast a ballot.
“I believe the advertising campaign for this election was not nearly substantial enough,” Sweeney said.
For the SAMRC elections website click here.
In this election’s only contested race, Tegan Sara will serve as the new business & entrepreneurial studies representative on student council after beating Jermyn Voon by a vote of 339-171. The position of arts faculty representative position will be filled by Dr. Gonzo, an alias created by former SA president Jeff Agnew, who received 421 votes for compared to 126 against.
The remaining student council positions will likely be filled in the fall.
Photo by James Paton. Voting stations remained relatively quiet throughout the week as turnout in the SAMRC Elections was down significantly.
Check out the upcoming issue of The Reflector for our continuing series profiling the new SAMRC executives.
