Voting irregularities raised in student elections

Voter turnout increased by almost a third in this year's round of student elections at Cardonald College – albeit against a backdrop of criticism over the polling process.

Cardonald College Glasgow Students’ Association last month co-ordinated their SRC elections with a rise in voter participation of 30 per cent on last year together with an increase in the number of candidates and contested elections.

However, the polls opened 20 minutes late with some students unable to vote when they were expecting to.

And serious issues emerged as voters made their way to the polling booths to find no such booths available, prompting fears that while all candidates were banned from campaigning by the ballot box, peer pressure from other voters could culminate in vulnerable voters changing their minds with pen in hand.

Newly-elected student president, Stefani Millar, told The Journal: "I wasn't aware of the issues surrounding the election until I actually voted. I was disappointed to see that there wasn't full privacy to vote”.

Voters were faced with further surprises with some SRC positions different from ones expected or those formalised in the constitution. Certain positions had been changed whereas others – including Disabled Student's Officer, Black Students' Officer and Women's Officer – were missing altogether, causing controversy among the student population.

Millar added: “I was extremely disappointed when I saw the available posts. When I questioned the lack of various positions such as a Women's Officer I was told that the Head of Equalities for the college hadn't felt the need for one and that it wasn't in the constitution.

"I feel that not only has the college read the constitution wrong but that it has trivialised important issues by not including positions such as Women's Officer and Black Students' Officer."