Fall Special General Assembly
For the first time in recent history (perhaps even in 20 years), the Alma Mater Society’s Special General Assembly achieved quorum! At the peak of the Assembly there were 277 students in attendance, which is significantly higher than the 208 students required for quorum! While a significant portion of this was due to the much-debated motions presented, we hope that last night’s General Assembly was a valuable learning experience and opportunity for students to further engage with governance at the Alma Mater Society. The AMS is pleased to see students exercise their democratic voting rights; and engage, as much as possible, in productive discussions.
Per sec. 8.1.6 of the AMS Constitution, “All votes at such meetings shall be taken by ballot if so demanded by any member present. Should a ballot be demanded, it shall be taken in such a manner as the Chair shall direct.” A member at large made a request to have motions #8 (enhancing accountability), #9 (compliance with 14.1.4), and #10 (equity policy) to be voted on via a ballot. Accordingly, the predetermined method of voting, determined by the Secretariat’s Office was to use the Simply Voting platform used for administering all elections on-campus, including AMS Executive and Queen’s Journal elections. The Simply Voting platform has been in use since 2014 and will be reviewed to ensure it continues to be the financially best alternative that meets student needs in Winter 2025.
While the platform is well tested, reliable and secure, the AMS will acknowledge that there were some issues faced that caused some delays in voting. Many of these difficulties were due to the unprecedented turn out at the Special General Assembly. To make the process smoother, check-in desks were made available to students before they walked into Assembly; to verify their eligibility and ensure they would be registered in case a ballot is requested. Unfortunately, a significant number of students arrived late and/or did not register as instructed. As a result, the ballot was delayed at least three times as the Elections Team registered and verified students during the vote.
Additionally, there was an error made with the ballot for motion #09, in which initially, the unamended motion was released for a vote. Upon noticing this error, the ballot was immediately stopped, and a second ballot was sent out to students in the room. Some students brought concerns about the second ballot, as there was some confusion, and they missed the five-minute voting limit. As a result, the Secretariat asked the General Assembly for directions on how to address the situation, and there was general consensus to redo the vote. Consequently, the ballot was voted on for a third time. The Secretariat was careful to direct the governance and elections team to not release results before the room decided on the best way to handle the vote to avoid any bias. All students in the room were given an opportunity to inspect the platform, and/or raise concerns about the integrity of the vote if they had any. No such concerns were raised after the third vote.
Another concern brought forward was a request to have the votes of elected leaders, and voting members of the AMS Assembly be made public. As stated by the Secretariat, the Simply Voting platform is a secure platform, that protects the privacy of students’ vote; and as such, it would not be possible to release how student leaders vote. Additionally, it is important to note the equal status of all students, including student leaders, at the General Assembly. For instance, a faculty president has the same voting power as a student at large. While a review of the Simply Voting method will be undertaken, as outlined in the goal plan of the Internal Affairs Office approved by Assembly in September; the Office of the Secretariat maintains the equality amongst all voting members at General Assembly.
Another issue faced was the constant change in quorum during the General Assembly. While the meeting started with a strong majority meeting quorum, quorum decreased near the end of the meeting. The Office of the Secretariat, in consultation with the Assembly Policy Review Committee and the Judicial Committee, is committed to exploring implications of changing quorum for future General Assembly; and reviewing procedures for General Assembly and Assembly in general. At this point, the changing number of students will not be considered to impact the quorum of the meeting unless explicitly concerns are raised by members-at-large.
If you have any feedback, please email . A feedback survey will be released following consultations with the ad-hoc committee struck last night.