THE LOW voter turnout of the recent Artlets Student Council (ABSC) special polls has raised concerns over the AB Commission on Election’s (AB Comelec) supposed “rigid” and “fast-paced” procedures, prompting some students to call for a revision of the UST election code.
According to a resolution issued by the AB Comelec, the voter turnout for the special elections was only 29.22% or 1,251 out of more than 4,000 students.
The turnout met the 25% minimum requirement for votes among students, with three executive board seats occupied.
Communication junior Mari Angelo Moredo received the most number of votes, with 895 casting their votes for the vice president internal post.
Legal Management junior John Alfred Soriano drew 862 votes for the treasurer position, while
Sociology senior Gillian Daphne Del Rosario garnered 639 votes for the vice president external seat. The position for auditor remains vacant.
While three of the vacancies have been filled, the results have sparked concerns over the need for amendments in the University’s electoral system.
‘Weakened democracy’
The UST chapter of the Kabataan Partylist said although the ABSC special elections was able to meet the minimum voter turnout requirement, voters in the faculty have not surpassed 50% of the population since 2023.
According to the group, receiving a low voter turnout is a “warning that democracy weakens.”
“When student participation declines, as we have seen in the past special elections, the very foundation of our democratic processes are at risk,” the group said in a Facebook post on Aug. 24.
During the academic year 2023-2024, the ABSC local elections drew a 40.12% voter turnout. It dipped to 38.02% in the AY 2024-2025, but slightly rose to 42.07% this year
The youth group claimed the AB Comelec’s structural condition reinforces “alienation,” saying its prioritization of “procedural rigidity” over democratic participation serves the interests of a “conservative and repressive school structure.”
“In recent years, COMELEC’s actions, dominated by disqualifications of candidates on technical grounds rather than efforts to engage voters, have narrowed the democratic space,” the group said.
Last academic year, the AB political party Tindig UST-AB and its three members were temporarily disqualified by the AB COMELEC for violating the election code, raising the need for a special poll. The poll body said the candidates shared campaign materials during a non-active campaign period and were not able to remove some of their campaign materials on different social media platforms the day before the election.
Kabataan called for revision of the election code, saying it is necessary to restore credibility, transparency and inclusivity in electoral processes within the University.
The Flame has reached out to AB COMELEC for comment but has yet to respond as of writing.
Electoral lapses
The AB Board of Majors (AB-BOM), a representative body for checks and balances of the faculty, has also expressed its disappointment towards the AB COMELEC’s supposed lapses in the recent special elections.
One of the concerns it raised was AB COMELEC’s replacement of the miting de avance or mandatory debate with an online “Ask Me Anything Forum.”
“The Board believes that the (miting de avance) is not simply a procedural requirement or condition but rather a vital democratic space that should be duly prioritized and prepared for,” AB-BOM said in a statement on August 15.
“It is with deep disappointment that we note the absence of an (miting de avance) in the current ABSC special elections, considering the capacity it holds to provide the AB community with the opportunity for transparency and integrity of the official candidates,” it added.
According to AB-BOM, the online forum does not supply the engagement and scrutiny the miting de avance provides, resulting in the lack of platform for proper discourse and the opportunity to make informed decisions.
AB-BOM also raised concerns over the “fast-paced” activity timeline for the electoral process, believing it is one of the reasons for the low voter turnout.
The AB COMELEC released all the memoranda and resolutions on Aug. 7 and commenced the filing of candidacy four days later. AB-BOM said it was a “narrow timeframe” for the candidates to prepare their campaign materials and to introduce their proposals.
“We urge the AB Commission on Elections to be transparent and accountable [for] the series of inadequacies encountered with the current election process and to take these observations into serious consideration in future electoral exercises,” AB-BOM said. F
