The ASUC Elections Council and Judicial Council held virtual meetings Monday and Wednesday, respectively, to certify election results for the 2020-21 academic year.

The councils approved Victoria Vera as president, Melvin Tangonan as executive vice president, Derek Imai as external affairs vice president, Nicole Anyanwu as academic affairs vice president, Joyce Huchin as student advocate and Valerie Johnson as transfer student representative. Both councils also certified the appointment of all 20 of the elected ASUC senators.

According to ASUC Elections Council Chair James Weichert, every year the Elections Council and Judicial Council vote to certify the outcomes of the ASUC election as a final measure to check that all the vote counting adhered to ASUC bylaws and to ensure that all candidates, parties and propositions followed campaign rules and regulations. Weichert compared this procedure to a state election, for which a state’s board of elections will certify the results.

The two referendums placed on the ballot passed. The first referendum renews the Class Pass student fee that ensures unlimited AC Transit access for students and funds the operation of campus shuttles. With 9,517 total undergraduate and graduate votes, the referendum passed with an 85.6% approval rate.

The second referendum applied only to graduate students and asked for their opinion on the Graduate Assembly pursuing legal and financial independence from the ASUC and establishing an independent campus graduate student government. It passed with 1,918 votes and an 83.6% approval rate.

“Thank you all for this year. My sincerest apologies to all the seniors — this should’ve ended as a celebration for you all,” said Judicial Council Assistant Chair Tamara Pantić at the end of the meeting. “Hopefully things look up for the next few months.”