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Via Virtual Meeting room
Report Number 105 Of The Elections Committee
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
To the Executive Committee,
University of Toronto,
Your Committee reports that it held a virtual meeting on May 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm with the following members present:
PRESENT: Vikram Chadalawada (Chair), Susan Froom, Mathangi (Indi) Gopinathan, Maureen Harquail, Ron Levi
SECRETARIAT: Samantha Frost, Secretary, Lauren Turner, Deputy Secretary of the Governing Council and Chief Returning Officer (CRO), Miranda Edwards, Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council and Deputy Returning Officer, UTSC (DRO), Cindy Ferencz Hammond, Assistant Secretary of the Governing Council and Deputy Returning Officer, UTM (DRO), Amanda Grant, Governance Coordinator
OPEN SESSION
- Chair’s Remarks
The Chair welcomed members and guests to the final Committee meeting of the governance year. - Report for the 2026 Elections for the Governing Council, the Academic Board, University of Toronto Mississauga and University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Councils and their Standing Committees
The Chair noted that the significant work involved in administering elections across multiple constituencies for the Governing Council, Academic Board, and the UTM and UTSC Campus Councils and their Standing Committees. He observed that, despite the complexity and breadth of the 2026 elections process, the elections were conducted successfully.
The Chief Returning Officer (CRO), Lauren Turner, thanked Miranda Edwards (Deputy Returning Officer, UTSC), Cindy Ferencz Hammond (Deputy Returning Officer, UTM), Amanda Grant (Governance Coordinator) for their contributions to the successful administration of the 2026 election, as well as Naveen Varna, Governance Operations and Platforms Specialist, from the Governing Council Operations team.
The CRO reported that 2026 was the first full election cycle conducted under the revised Election Guidelines approved in November 2025, which supported a more streamlined and user-friendly process. The CRO also noted continued efforts to improve accessibility, outreach, and user experience, including the introduction of the Get Involved webpage as a central resource for governance participation and elections engagement. The CRO also reported that the Nomination Management System continued to mature as an operational tool, with enhancements aimed at improving user experience and reducing administrative burden.
The CRO reported to the Committee that, while targeted engagement efforts yielded positive results in certain constituencies , including the Temerty Faculty of Medicine seats on Academic Board, challenges remained in a number of constituencies, particularly at UTSC, where candidate recruitment and engagement continue to require focused outreach efforts. These challenges will inform outreach and planning for the 2027 elections cycle.
A member raised a question regarding the four vacant graduate student seats at UTSC and asked whether a by-election would be held in the fall to fill those vacancies. The member also suggested that, should a by-election be conducted, consideration be given to engaging the Graduate Students’ Union in outreach efforts to raise awareness among UTSC graduate students.
The CRO responded that a fall by-election for the vacant UTSC graduate student seats was under consideration, while stressing the importance of finding candidates who were committed to their roles. The CRO also noted that outreach to student groups would be part of summer planning to improve engagement among UTSC graduate students.
The Chair thanked the CRO and the Deputy Returning Officers. - Report of the Previous Meeting – Report No. 104, November 27, 2025
The Report of the Previous Meeting – Report Number 104, was approved. - Business Arising from the Report of the Previous Meeting
There was no business arising from the report of the previous meeting. - Date of the Next Meeting: October 13, 2026
The Chair confirmed that the date of the next meeting would be held on October 13, 2026. - Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
May 22, 2026