De Anza College students elected 16 members to the next academic year’s DASB Senate during elections held May 20 to May 26.
Incoming president Stacie Rowe had campaigned with the Revolution coalition on a platform of greater support for underserved and low-income students, and pushing for healthier food options on campus.
Of the incoming senate members, nine were from the Revolution coalition and six were from the United coalition. Karla Xitlalli Navarro garnered the most votes and was the only independent candidate elected.
The senate assembly comprises between 16 and 30 members including a president and vice president, according to the senate bylaws.
Although students could vote for multiple candidates, the Election Code requires that each elected candidates received at least 20 percent of the number of total ballots cast. Only 12 senate candidates met this threshold, as did both United and Revolution coalitions’ president and vice presidential candidate.
The unelected president and vice president can fill vacant senator positions if they meet the 20 percent requirement, according to the bylaws. But neither Karin Novak nor Veena Bhatia, the United presidential and vice presidential candidates, were sworn in during the 2013-2014 senate inauguration on June 7.
Pablo Zamorano, the 2012-2013 senate president, wrote in an email that the 2013-2014 senate cannot take any action until it holds midterm elections.
Students cast 1,174 ballots for senate candidates, representing a turnout of less than 5.5 percent using De Anza’s Spring 2013 census data.
The release of the election results was originally scheduled for May 29 but was postponed until after the June 5 DASB Senate meeting pending the appeal of a candidate’s disqualification.