Graduate student referendums did not pass, governance will remain the same

Neither the “Better Together” nor the “Two for Two” referendums passed in an instant runoff vote in the spring election, so graduate governance at UNC will remain the same for now.

The separation referendum was 3 percentage points short of passing.

On the ballot, students were able to rank the two referendums and a no-change option in order of preference, from 1 to 3. The referendum with the lowest number of votes was disqualified and the votes were redistributed to the voter’s second choice.

Dylan Russell, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation, said he was disappointed that they came so close passing the “Two for Two” separation proposal.

GPSF voted within its federation to support the separation bill and had to collect about 2,900 signatures from the student body to place the referendum on the ballot. The “Two for Two” referendum had to earn a two-thirds majority to pass.

Far more graduate students voted in this election than before, Russell said.

Student Body President Houston Summers said he wished he could say the result would change.

“I am extremely disappointed,” Summers said.

Summers said he wants to come back to the table and get something done.

“It is my promise to every student at this University — undergraduate, graduate, what have you — before this semester is over, that we find a plan and vote on a plan,” he said.

Summers and Board of Elections Chairperson Grayson Berger were cloistered together in a room after Berger announced the results.

Summers said there was initial confusion about how the votes were counted, and some people interpreted the results differently from Berger. After talking with Berger, Summers said he understands and, it turns out, neither interpretation would have changed the final result.

“I disagree with his interpretation but I do see the logic,” Summers said.

All three student body president candidates did not support the separation and winner Bradley Opere did not want to comment on the results. In a debate at The Daily Tar Heel Sunday, Opere and candidate John Taylor both said they supported “Better Together.”

GPSF had a close call gathering votes to have the referendum placed on the ballot and needed a recount. At first, their petition was two votes short, but after a recount, it had gained enough signatures.

Student Congress did not support the separation proposal and in the weeks before the vote, a bill was proposed to dissolve GPSF completely.

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