Elections and Referenda
Every year during the GSA General Election, graduate students at the University of Alberta cast votes to elect fellow graduate students to the GSA Directly-Elected Officer positions: President, VP Academic, VP External, VP Student Life, and VP Student Services. Concurrently, Academically-Employed Graduate Students (AEGS) vote to elect a graduate student to the GSA Directly-Elected Officer position of Associate VP Labour.
These six student executives represent graduate students on committees and councils across campus and to all levels of government.
Graduate students also elect ten Councillors-at-Large, who sit on GSA Council and represent all University of Alberta graduate students.
GSA Referenda take place in years when graduate students are asked to vote on key issues. Past referenda have resulted in the implementation and/or continuation of graduate student services such as the GSA Health and Dental Plan, the Graduate Student Assistance Plan (GSAP), and the U-Pass program, as well as the creation of the GSA Dedicated Fee which enables graduate students to support the on-campus radio station, CJSR. Read the message from then-VP Student Services about the most recent GSAP and U-Pass Referenda here.
Discover Governance
To learn more, check out our Discover Governance program
2023 ElectionGraduate students cast their votes to elect the six Directly-Elected Officers (President, VP Academic, VP External, VP Student Life, and VP Student Services, and the Associate VP Labour) and ten Councillors-at-Large from Tuesday, 28 February to Thursday, 2 March 2023. The elected representatives will begin their respective terms of service on 1 May 2023. |
Official Results |
Calling All Grad Students! ![]() The 2023 GSA General Election Forum took place on Monday, 27 February. A recording can be found here. |
Below you may find the timeline of events for the 2023 General Election and Election of the Associate Vice-President Labour.
All times listed are in Mountain Time.
Tuesday, 31 January at 8:30 AM | Nomination Period Opens |
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Tuesday, 14 February at 12:00 PM | Nomination Period Closes |
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Tuesday, 14 February at 2:00 PM | All-Candidates Meeting (Mandatory) |
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Wednesday, 15 February at 12:00 AM | Campaign Period Begins |
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Tuesday to Friday, February 20 to February 24 | Family Day and Reading Week |
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Friday, 24 February at 1:00 PM | Deadline: Submit Forum Video Waiver Forms and Confirm Attendance at the Forum |
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Friday, 24 February at 1:00 PM | Deadline: Submit Bios/Resumes and Photos of Candidates for Posting on the GSA Website |
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Monday 27 February at 11:30 AM | Forum: Candidates' Pre-Meeting (in person, location TBA) |
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Monday 27 February at 12:00 PM | Forum (in person, location TBA) |
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Tuesday, 28 February at 10:00 AM | Voting Period Opens |
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Thursday, 2 March at 10:00 AM | Campaigning and Voting Periods Close |
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Thursday, 2 March at 12:00 PM | Deadline: Submit Campaign-Related Expenses and Receipts |
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Thursday, 2 March |
Announcement of Provisional Results |
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Friday, 3 March 2023 (Time TBD) | (Tentative, Pending Release of Provisional Results) Deadline to Lodge a Complaint or Notice of an Alleged Breach with the CRO |
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Friday, 3 March | (Tentative, Pending Release of Provisional Results) Announcement of Official Results |
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The GSA is led by a team of student executives, collectively and formally known as the GSA Directly-Elected Officers. The team is comprised of the President, VP Academic, VP External, VP Student Life, and VP Student Services; as well as the Associate VP Labour. The graduate students serving in these positions are elected each year in the GSA General Election to serve a one-year term spanning 1 May to 30 April. The AVP Labour, due to their distinct portfolio and duty to Academically-Employed Graduate Students (AEGS), is elected by the vote of AEGSs rather than that of the pool of eligible graduate students who elect the GSA President and VPs.
Together, these six student executives actively engage with stakeholders and advocate for over 8,000 of their fellow graduate students about important matters like tuition, funding, and student services. Without them, graduate students would not have a seat at the table of the important decision-making bodies at the University, nor would they have access to essential services like the GSA Health and Dental Plan, the U-Pass, or GSA grants, awards, and bursaries.
Short answer? Yes!
As a graduate student, you have the opportunity to elect your graduate student leaders and you should make your voice heard through your vote.
But that's not all! Graduate students can also make the choice to put their names forward for election as any one of these student leaders. Remember, the GSA President and Vice-Presidents are all graduate students just like you who have chosen to dedicate a portion of their time and energy to the betterment of their peers' experience at the U of A. Take the first step and Discover Governance.
The GSA Chief Returning Officer (CRO), who oversees the GSA General Election and Referenda, will email all graduate students about the 2023 GSA General Election and Referenda beginning in early February 2023, but don't hesitate to contact us at gsa.frontdesk@ualberta.ca if you have any questions.
As per GSA Bylaw and Policy I.POL.11.5, all CRO Decisions made regarding complaints and alleged breaches will be posted on the GSA website. Please see below the CRO Decisions issued for the 2023 GSA General Election and Election of the Associate Vice-President Labour:
GSA Bylaw and Policy governs the Election and Referenda. If you have any questions, please contact the GSA Chief Returning Officer at gsa.elections@ualberta.ca
Archive
The results of previous GSA General Elections and GSA Referenda are available in the GSA Elections and Referenda Archive. A record of GSA Chief Returning Officer and GSA Speaker decisions and appeal decisions can also be found there.