Students of NUI Galway vote in Student Union election

By Adam Gibbons

Students of NUI Galway have elected their full-time student union officers for 2020/21.

Nine candidates vied for three full-time student union positions – President, Vice President for Education, and Vice President for Welfare/Equality in elections held yesterday on campus.

This year’s election saw none of the outgoing officers seeking re-election.

President

The election for Student Union President saw Pádraic Toomey elected on the first count in a landslide victory. Mr Toomey exceeded the quota by picking up nearly 60% of the first preference votes.

Vice President for Education

The election for Vice President for Education saw Emma Sweeney elected on the second count, securing over two-fifths of first preference votes during the first count.

Vice President for Welfare/Equality

The election for Vice President for Welfare and Equality, saw Róisín Nic Lochlainn elected on the second count, picking up over 45% of first preference votes.

There are several key issues newly elected officers will have to address, including the planned increase of on-campus student accommodation rent by 4% for the 2020/21 academic year.

In recent weeks, the proposed increases have been protested by both the Students’ Union and the college community. However, it will likely remain an area of contention for the forseeable future.

Yesterday’s election will be followed by the election of the part-time officers, which will take place on Thursday 12th March.