REFERENDUM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REPORT

Canadian Federation of Students

Student Federation of the University of Ottawa
• November 18-20, 2008
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BACKGROUND

The Board and Executive of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa have
considered the issue of renewed membership in the Canadian Federation of Students in
recent years. The Student Federation has been actively involved in a number of the
Canadian Federation of Students’ campaigns and activities, representatives have
attended general meetings of the Canadian Federation of Students and on at least three
occasions the Canadian Federation of Students has presented to the Board.

In spring 2008 the Board of Administration struck an Ad Hoc Committee to review the
Canadian Federation of Students and the pro and cons of membership in the
organization. In its report dated July 15, 2008 an Ad Hoc Committee recommended that
the Student Federation apply for prospective membership. On July 28, 2008, the Board
of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa voted to apply for prospective
membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. At its August 2008 national
general meeting, the member students' unions of the Canadian Federation of Students-
Ontario voted to accept the application. Additionally, the National Executive of the
Canadian Federation of Student reviewed and recommended to the November 2008
national general meeting that the application be accepted.

There are two types of membership in the Canadian Federation of Students:

prospective membership and full membership. Prospective membership is described in
the Canadian Federation of Students' Bylaw I, 2-b as, “a trial membership of limited
duration”.

A Referendum Oversight Committee composed of two (2) members appointed by the

Canadian Federation of Students and two (2) members appointed by the Student
Federation of the University of Ottawa was struck. The Student Federation of the
University of Ottawa Representatives on the Oversight Committee were President Dean
Haldenby and Board member Faris Lehn. The Board of the Student Federation of the
University of Ottawa employed its standard committee selection process to select the
student representative for the Oversight Committee.

The Canadian Federation of Students Representatives were Organiser Christine

Bourque and Director of Organising Lucy Watson.

The Referendum Oversight Committee was charged with the duty of developing rules
that would govern the referendum and overseeing the referendum to its completion. The
Committee was responsible for the following:

i. establishing the notice requirement for the referendum and ensuring that notice
is posted.
ii. establishing the campaign period.
iii. approving all campaign materials and removing campaign materials that have
not been approved.
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iv. deciding the number and location of polling stations.

v. setting the hours of voting.
vi. overseeing all aspects of the voting.
vii. counting the ballots following the vote.
viii. establishing all other rules and regulations for the vote.

RULES

The majority of the rules developed to govern the referendum were adopted directly
from the bylaws and protocols of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa. A
copy of the rules that governed the referendum are appended to this report.

QUESTION

The following question appeared on the ballot:

“The Canadian Federation of Students is a national student organization and the

Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario is a provincial student organization with
a total membership of over 500,000 university and college students.

The Canadian Federation of Students was formed in 1981 to advocate for an

affordable, high-quality system of post-secondary education, to provide services
and provincial and national student representation for students.

For full-time students, the fee is $3.90 per semester for the Canadian Federation of
Students ($1.95 for part-time students) and the Canadian Federation of Students-
Ontario fee is $3.25 per semester ($1.63 for part-time students).

Are you in favour of membership in the Canadian Federation of Students and the
Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario?”

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM

The Committee resolved to provide 4 weeks notice of the voting dates and question.
Posters announcing the referendum dates and question were posted on University
Bulletin Boards.

In addition, the referendum dates were publicized in two issues of the Fulcrum and La
Rotonde, on signage in University Centre and on the Student Federation of the
University of Ottawa’s website.

REFERENDUM CAMPAIGNING AND POLLING DATES

The Committee resolved to conduct the referendum in fall 2008 in order to avoid any
conflict or potential conflict with the Student Federation’s elections and other referenda
scheduled to be held during the spring 2009 election period. Campaigning commenced
on November 7, 2008, and concluded at 20:00 on November 20, 2005.
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Voting was conducted at the main campus and Roger Guindon on November 18-20
from 8:00-20:00.

Faculty of Education students were on teaching practicum during the week of voting.
The Referendum Oversight Committee resolved that Education students on practicum
should be given an opportunity to vote in the referendum. The Committee also decided
to offer students who were studying abroad or otherwise unable to cast a ballot on
campus during the week of voting, an opportunity to vote. The Referendum Rules
included mechanisms for voting by mail or advance voting.

CAMPAIGN TEAMS

Two campaign teams were registered with the Oversight Committee; one “yes” side and
one “no” side.

POLLING STATION LOCATIONS

The Referendum Oversight Committee established polling station locations in high

traffic areas that were visible and accessible to students from a number of different
faculties. The majority of polling locations were based on locations used for previous
elections/referenda.

Polling stations were located in the following locations:

UCU-Financial Aid Montpetit

UCU-SFUO Rez Complex
UCU-Tim Hortons SITE
Desmarais Tabaret
Fauteaux
Lamoureux Roger Guindon
Marion

BALLOTING PROCESS

The Referendum Oversight Committee opted to use a balloting process that has not
been used at the University of Ottawa for a number of years. The Committee selected
this form of balloting for a number of reasons with the primary reason being security of
the ballots and protecting the integrity of the voting process.

The process is most commonly known as a “double enveloping” system. Each polling
location was provided with a voters’ list and blank envelopes. Once a voter had been
located on the voters’ list she was provided a ballot, a blank envelope and an envelope
marked with the voter’s name and student number. The voter was instructed to mark the
ballot and insert it into the blank envelope. The blank envelope was then inserted into
the marked envelope and placed in the ballot box. The envelopes were separated
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during the counting process to ensure that at no time was the confidentiality of the vote
compromised.

A handful of students expressed concern about the confidentiality of the vote given the
double enveloping system; however, the procedures followed by the Referendum
Oversight Committee during the vote count ensured that at no time was confidentiality
breached. The double enveloping system ensured that every eligible voter had the
opportunity to cast a ballot while protecting the integrity of the voting process.

The lists from each polling station were reconciled to ensure that no student had
attempted to vote more than once. There were, however, a total of seven attempts to
vote more than once. All of the “second” ballots were destroyed prior to the vote count.
The Committee is confident that only one of the seven voters was intentionally
attempting to vote more than once as the individual had spoken publicly about his
intention to cast multiple ballots.

The Referendum Oversight Committee has provided the Executive of the Student
Federation of the University of Ottawa with the name of the individual in the event the
Federation wishes to take action against this individual.

QUORUM

Section 14.b of the Referendum Rules states that quorum shall be five (5) percent of the
total undergraduate enrolment that pay fees to and are members of the Student
Federation of the University of Ottawa. Over 21 percent of those eligible to vote did so
in the referendum.

VOTER TURNOUT

Students who did not appear on the voters’ list were permitted to vote and the
Referendum Oversight Committee confirmed their status with the Registrar at the end of
the voting day. In the event the student was ineligible to vote, the envelope (containing
the ballot) was destroyed prior to the count.

The Registrar was unable to verify the student status of a handful of the voters who
voted on November 20. Six of those individuals were eligible to vote and the ballots
were counted on November 28. Three ballots were “yes” and three ballots were “no”.

The total vote count is as follows:

Yes: 3331-52%

No: 3071-48%

Spoiled: 67
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Total: 6469

OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS

Section 16.c of the Referendum Rules required that complaints be filed within 48-hours
of the alleged infraction. A series of complaints were filed by both the “Yes” and “No”
sides. The Committee upheld a number of the complaints and assessed a penalty that
counterbalanced any unfair advantage gained; penalised the campaign for committing a
violation; and was of the same type or character as the advantage which was gained
(Section 16.e).

Complaints the Committee considered and assessed a penalty for included but was not
limited to the following:

- pre-campaigning in classrooms in support of a “No” vote;

- pre-campaigning with materials in support of a “No” vote;

- incorrect poster size (“Yes” posters);

- mass removal of “Yes” campaign posters;

- repeated removal of “Yes” campaign banner in Colonel By building;

- dissemination of false information in class talks, during the information sessions and
on Facebook pages;

- distribution of survey to Faculty of Arts students.

INCIDENTS

Each polling station was equipped with an incident report in which to record anomalies
in the voting process. There were several reports of individuals advocating a “no” vote
who refused to leave the “no campaign zone” around the polling stations.

The following incident was the most egregious; however, it was dealt with promptly and
appropriately. On November 19, 2008 at the UCU-SFUO polling location an individual
climbed on top of the polling station table and announced that he was voting no.
Referendum Oversight Committee member Dean Haldenby was in the vicinity and
quickly removed the individual from the polling station location.

CONCLUSION

The Referendum Oversight Committee is satisfied that all the conditions for full
membership in the Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian Federation of Students-
Services and the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario have been satisfied.
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The Referendum Oversight Committee is also satisfied that the processes that
governed the referendum were effective and the referendum results are a reflection of
the will of the undergraduate student population at the University of Ottawa.