MEMBERSHIP OF BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES PUT INTO QUESTION, UOSU BEGINS PROCESS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY
The recent by-election revealed that not all undergraduate students are automatically considered members of the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) — raising concerns about the accessibility of union privileges, such as candidacy and voting rights. In response, Gee-Gees will now vote on adopting a new definition to “liberalize and expand” the UOSU membership.
Currently, section 4.1.1 of the UOSU constitution defines members as: all U of O undergraduate students who have paid the membership fee. This requires a complete payment of tuition owed to the University.
The new definition, proposed by UOSU president and Co-Chair of the Elections Committee, Jack Coen, would expand membership to “all undergraduate students who are enrolled in courses… [and] have been invoiced for the membership fee.”
This constitutional amendment is set to eliminate the need for timely payments for students to be considered as union members. Currently, the constitution is interpreted that until students pay in their tuition in full, they do not have access to benefits such as voting rights and on-campus services such as the Food Bank, the Student Rights Center, and the International House.
The vote is set to occur during the Fall General Assembly on Nov. 23.
Election fiasco
According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Ben Cameron, following the opening of the vote on Oct. 6, three candidates previously confirmed as eligible members of the union in Sept. did not fit UOSU’s definition of a union member.
This was the first time in UOSU history that pre-approved candidates were threatened with disqualification due to legal commitments.
These candidates were notified on Oct. 7 that per the UOSU’s official candidate guide and the Electoral Code, they would be disqualified from the race if they were unable to meet section 4.1.1.
The revision of status occurred when candidate for Student Life Commissioner and international student, Samar Mohamed Ahmed, contacted Cameron after not receiving her ballot.
According to Cameron, the CEO is responsible for inputting the list of eligible voters — provided by the University of Ottawa in accordance with UOSU’s constitution — into a software which emails ballots directly. Cameron told the Fulcrum that this election revealed that the list of eligible voters excludes any students with a remaining balance owed to the University of Ottawa.
Mohamed Ahmed told the Fulcrum that at this time, she had a remaining balance of $5,000 owed on her tuition. “I was then presented with two options: either provide proof of payment in full, or confirm within 24 hours that I can make the payment in full [before polls close on] the 10th,” she continued.
In an interview, Coen said that he “had never seen [article 4.1] discussed…not realiz[ing] the clause of membership,” he continues saying that the clause is “highly restrictive but unfortunately on paper,” emphasizing the obligation to follow the constitution.
As a registered not-for-profit, UOSU is legally obliged to follow the Canadian Not-for-Profit Corporations Act which includes upholding the established by-laws within the UOSU constitution.
According to Coen, disregarding the by-laws to “pick and choose members” excluded from the original voters’ list would throw into “question the integrity of the elections.”
UOSU’s commitment to follow their constitutional definitions, prompted Mohamed Ahmed to release her Oct. 9 statement calling the denial of her membership an “unjust [threat of] disqualification.” Continuing, Mohamed Ahmed described UOSU’s stance as turning “democratic rights into financial privileges,” and condemning the lack of transparency towards students on the matter.
Later that day, UOSU addressed the situation, apologizing for the confusion and affirming the organization’s work with the University of Ottawa to acquire a new voting list, which includes students with payment plans or independent financial arrangements with the university.
After being given a more inclusive list of voters on Oct. 10, the CEO was able to extend the voting period by 72 hours — giving extra time to candidates who still had not qualified as members the ability to sign up for a payment plan or pay the balance entirely, per Coen.
Mohamed Ahmed told the Fulcrum that despite the union’s efforts, it felt like “it was either I pay or I get disqualified.”
By the end of the extension all candidates who presented themselves at the elections met membership criteria, allowing them to run. In Mohamed Ahmed’s case, she was able to pay her debt just hours before the deadline by borrowing $3,500 from another student.
Constitutional amendment
According to Coen, the current definition of a UOSU member not only infringes on student rights, but it sets a significant barrier to student involvement in campus unions due to the “affordability crisis” which he notes impacts significant international students facing tuition hikes and Indigenous students on scholarships from their tribes.
Despite winning the seat of Student Life Commissioner, Mohamed Ahmed is still unhappy with the solution, saying that “payment plans are not a favour, they are a strict contract” with the University, and is skeptical of its practicality for all students.
She also told the Fulcrum that during her two years of working for UOSU, her membership was verified through proof of enrollment in her courses.
Given statistics provided by Cameron, the Fulcrum estimates that a little under 5,000 students enrolled in courses were deemed to not have paid their UOSU fee, and therefore did not receive voting privileges during the 2025 by-election.
The election saw an overall 6.47% of voter turnout.
