Photo by Richard Ferguson

RMIT Student Elections – Liveblog – Connect Sweeps Up (again…)

Welcome to the most exciting live blog of the most boring election in the whole history of the world.

Yes it’s RMIT Votes 2015! After five days of hell, the hacks are gone and the pamphlets are scattered. And now you get to know who the next RMIT Student Union masters will be!

What? You don’t know who they are? You don’t care? PHOOEY.

We’ll be reporting the count for each position throughout the night. But mostly we’ll just be sharing funny videos.

Like, did you see that Peter Dutton video with the climate change joke and the boom mic?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH this country is doomed.

So strap in, strap on and let Brendan Wrigley and Richard Ferguson give you the best night a couple of half-cut twentysomething middle class boys can.

2:49pm

It’s expected Jinyi Rong (Connect) and Jack Todaro (Stand Up) will be elevated to Gen Reps as two Gen Reps will stand down to become RUSU President and Communication Officer.

President | Ariel Zohar (Connect)

Communication Officer | Alan Pagdham (Connect)

 

P.S. Senior sources say Connect are on track to win 6 NUS delegate spots and 1 will go to Stand Up.

 

2:45pm

General Representatives in order of elected

Maggie Chen (Connect) | 505 votes

Himasha Fonseka (Connect) | 494 votes

Alan Pagdham (Connect) | 478 votes

Ariel Zohar (Connect) | 464 votes

Sadaf Hadi (Connect) | 413 votes

The two alternative Gen Reps are Jingyi Rong (Connect) and Jack Todaro (Stand Up). They’d be next in line if any of the Gen Reps stand down.

2:40pm

Activities Officer

Emma Fogden (Connect) | 2519 votes

Thomas Lavery (Stand Up) | 338 votes

Nicholas Seers (On Point) | 232 votes

Emma Fogden (Connect) is elected Activities Officer.

2:37pm

Welfare Officer

Marco Portmann (Connect) | 2657 votes

Catherine Liew (On Point) | 358 votes

Marco Portmann (Connect) is elected Welfare Officer.

Saturday 2:31pm

After a clean sweep last night of white paper positions we finally have numbers for Gen Reps. But first the other white paper posts…

8:29pm

FOURTH RESULT – Queer Officer

Madeleine Bullock and Liam Reoch (Connect) – 2753 votes

Dylan Pedersen (On Point) – 212

Madeleine Bullock and Liam Reoch (Connect) are elected Queer Officers with  92.8 per cent of the vote.

 

 

7:50pm

THIRD RESULT – Women’s Officer

Ella Caufield (Connect) – 1175 votes

Natalie Acreman (Stand Up!) – 170

Nicole Abaid (On Point) – 73

TOTAL – 1418 | INFORMAL – 45

Ella Caulfield (Connect) is elected Women’s Officer with 82.9 per cent of the vote

 

7:45pm

SECOND RESULT – Education Officer

Carl Melkonian (Connect) | 2327 votes

Luke Hocking (Stand Up!) |  384 votes

Nicole Abaid (On Point) |  284 votes

TOTAL – 2991 | INFORMAL – 430

Carl Melkonian (Connect) is elected Education Officer with 77.8 per cent of the vote.

7:29pm

We’re so bored. We’re going to be here forever. We might just go home, watch some Law and Order.

6:25pm

General representatives and NUS delegates unlikely to be announced tonight.

Should be getting more updates on white paper positions and women’s officer soon.

 

6:08pm

FIRST RESULT – General Secretary of the RMIT Student Union

Dove,  Abena (Connect) | 2454 votes

Hitchcock, Jackson (Stand Up!) | 468 votes

Jenkins, Ben (On Point) | 298 votes

FINAL TOTAL – 3138   | INFORMAL – 298

Abena Dove (Connect) is elected General Secretary with 78 per cent of the vote.

5:25pm:

Not all posts were up for election. Some positions were uncontested – or parties failed to get candidates on the ballot.

And here there are. Your uncontested RUSU gang (Why, yes, they are from Connect):

International Officer – PAN, Hao (Connect)

Postgraduate Officer – HOAC, Paul (Connect)

Vocational Education Officer – BORSATO, Alex (Connect)

Brunswick Coordinator – WHITTLE, Charlotte (Connect)

Bundoora Coordinator –  THEOBALD, Lachlan (Connect)

Brunswick Representative – VILLAGARAY, Katherine (Connect)

Bundoora East Representative – MATHER, Taylor (Connect)

Bundoora West Representative – MUGHAL, Muhammad Waleed Bin Tariq (Connect)

Catalyst Editors – BROWN, Nathan, LONG, Claudia & COULTHARD, Katie (Connect)

4:57pm:

 Counting is underway! We’ve been told 3400 ballots have been cast, up 100 ballots since last year. Hoping the count for General Secretary will be in 15-20 minutes.

Catalyst has been the student publication of RMIT University since 1944. We may be older than your parents but we’re still going strong!

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