Unofficial Results

In accordance with Electoral Policy 9.1(e), the election results will be considered official only after all complaints and appeals have been resolved.

Unofficial Winners

Prym Goodacre
259 votes

Gabrielle Miller
165 votes

Shaan Brar
120 votes

Andrew Loe
94 votes

Aidan Dias
91 votes

Eric Liu
86 votes

Mackenzie McNiven
79 votes

Lauren Aimoe
78 votes

Voter Turnout

1,090/18,111 (6%)

Detailed Results

Below, you can find a detailed report with a summary of surplus vote transfers conducted using the Single Transferable Vote system.

UVSS-By-election-Results-2023-10-26Download

How Votes are Counted

This election is that it was conducted using Single Transferable Vote (STV). STV is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through ranked voting. Under STV, voters have the opportunity to rank candidates according to their preference. 

The vote-counting method is a little complicated. Counting votes is multi-step process. Here’s a relatively simplified explanation:

  1. Initial Count: All the first-choice votes are counted for each candidate.
  2. Quota Calculation: A quota is determined, which is the minimum number of votes a candidate needs to get elected. This is usually calculated based on the total number of votes cast and the number of seats available.
  3. Election of Candidates Meeting Quota: Candidates who meet or exceed the quota are immediately elected.
  4. Redistribution of Surplus Votes: If a candidate receives more votes than the quota, the ‘extra’ votes (called surplus votes) are redistributed to other candidates based on voters’ second-choice preferences.
  5. Elimination of Lowest Candidates: If no candidate reaches the quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their votes are redistributed to remaining candidates based on the next-highest choice on each ballot.
  6. Repeat: Steps 3 to 5 are repeated until all seats are filled.

The process continues until enough candidates have met the quota to fill all available seats. This way, more voters end up supporting a candidate they like, making the election more representative.

Please see the charming video below for a more visual explanation. 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Most of our members are located in Victoria, BC, the traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations communities. 

Many of us are settlers or visitors on land that was violently stolen from Indigenous peoples. The historical and continued dispossession of land threatens Indigenous peoples’ physical and emotional safety, cultural and linguistic growth, and basic and legal rights.

The Electoral Office organizes elections for students at the University of Victoria, but we, just like you, exist within a wider context of colonization. We encourage you to think about why you possess certain rights (like the ability to vote) while others may not, and why elected Directors are rarely Indigenous – or People of Colour, folks with disabilities, and other marginalized identities (both at the University and broader levels).

We are always open to feedback in order to critically evaluate our policy and processes. Deconstructing colonial systems and rebuilding equitable ones is uncomfortable, hard work, but we are ready.