A Platform of Optimism and Big Ideas

UDems is one of the strongest collegiate Democratic Party organizations in the country, due in large part to our ability to raise significant funds and spend them wisely. I firmly believe that maintaining this strength requires us to uphold the highest standards of financial accountability.

Just recently, I proposed - and successfully led the passage of - a comprehensive overhaul of UDems’ financial rules and policies. Here’s what it accomplished:

1. UDems is now required to follow an internationally recognized financial reporting standard known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or “GAAP.”

For context, the majority of U.S. states require their agencies, counties, and school districts to comply with GAAP. Since the Great Depression, the Securities and Exchange Commission has also required all publicly traded companies to adhere to these standards. By adopting GAAP principles, UDems will become more financially secure and earn greater trust from our donors.

2. My amendment also streamlined the process for updating UDems’ financial rules.

We no longer need to go through the cumbersome process of passing a constitutional amendment just to implement a basic policy like requiring receipts for reimbursements. Instead, at the start of each semester, the Treasurer may propose changes to UDems’ financial rules, which can take effect with the approval of a majority of UDLC.

One of UDems’ most direct avenues for influence - on campus, in our local community, and the party - is our endorsement power. Thousands of students, alumni, and community members who identify as Democrats and/or progressives - but may not have the time to stay politically engaged 24/7 - rely on the collective judgment of our organization. 

I believe we can strengthen that power even further by reforming our endorsement process. Here’s how:

ANTI-ENDORSEMENTS:

A few weeks ago, I was severely disappointed that UDems did not publicly endorse against the Hudson-Thierry executive alliance in the Student Government election. Students needed to hear a clear and forceful “no.” In a close race, that could have made the difference.

That’s why, just recently, I proposed - and successfully led the passage of - a constitutional amendment granting the UDems general membership the authority to issue an anti-endorsement in nonpartisan elections with three or more candidates. To make this process accessible and efficient, my amendment allows such motions to be passed by a simple voice vote during an endorsement forum.

UDems has a very strong constitution that holds our organization together from the ground up. Fair and consistent rules are the key to building UDems' organizational power, as well as maintaining trust and camaraderie between our members and between our leadership.

But our constitution is far from perfect and needs some updates.

Given that next semester will be during an off-year and without a legislative session, this is the best time to repair and improve UDems from the inside. That way, when we gear up for the 2026 primary and general elections, we will have already made the necessary changes.

That's why if I'm elected Parliamentarian, I plan to create and chair a UDems Bylaws Committee, which will be tasked with finding ways to improve the UDems Constitution. I'm a big believer that there is nothing beyond this organization's capacity when we bring our collective wisdom together to solve problems.

The Bylaws Committee will have 5 members:

• The Parliamentarian (Chair)
• 2 members elected by the general membership
• 2 members appointed by the Parliamentarian who are confirmed by UDLC
   

By the end of the semester, the Bylaws Committee will publish a report with recommendations for updates to the UDems bylaws. Based on that report, the committee propose a series of constitutional amendments implementing those changes for approval by the general members.

As Parliamentarian, one of my top priorities will be to ensure every member, regardless of their parliamentary experience, can have their ideas for improving our bylaws heard.

The UDems Constitution gives every member of UDems, regardless of whether they are a member of the leadership team, the right to propose amendments to the Constitution. This is one of the most valuable powers given to our membership. But I have noticed that many members feel hesitant to do so because writing such an amendment seems confusing, or because the process to pass an amendment is daunting.

If elected, I will create a Bylaws Suggestion Form where any UDems member can ask request advice or feedback on their proposed constitutional amendment. I will also happy write an amendment for you based on your ideas if you aren't sure how to put it in writing. I will help regardless of whether I like your idea or not.

The UDems Constitution requires that "the Parliamentarian must maintain an official version of the Constitution," and that it be published on the UDems website.

Currently, the only available copy of the Constitution is a 16-page ".docx" file, which can make it onerous for UDems members to keep up to date with even the simplest of our organization's bylaws.

If elected Parliamentarian, I plan to publish a more interactive, user-friendly version of the UDems Constitution on the website. This will include hyperlinks to specific sections, an "FAQ" section, and a detailed explanation of each UDLC member's powers and responsibilities.

I firmly believe that in order to remain a strong political organization, UDems must have a strong culture of respect for our internal rules. Here's why:

Ultimately, all of us at UDems, no matter our specific political ideologies, are all on the same team. We want to help Democrats win and we want to see our city, state, and country adopt more progressive policy. And we are all scared about the danger the far-right poses to our republican system of government. But over the course of a semester, it is inevitable that we will have disagreements on our leadership council and between many of our ambitious and dedicated members. The only way to resolve those differences peacefully and respectfully is when we agree on the ground rules. Having a trusted, reliable, and fair Parliamentarian to enforce the rules and maintain decorum is a key part of that.

If we start ignoring and breaking the smaller rules, it will only serve to build a permission structure for people to break the bigger ones in the future. And it becomes common practice to ignore the most important bylaws, such as financial rules or election regulations, UDems will become bogged down with distrust, back-stabbing, and a culture of everyone-for-themselves. A culture of rule adherence will make every part of our organization stronger.

My promise to you, the voting members of UDems who will decide next semester's UDLC membership, is that if elected Parliamentarian I will be as loyal to my personal adherence to the rules as I am in enforcing them on everyone else. To do anything else would disrespect my job and your vote.

If elected Parliamentarian, I will push for comprehensive reforms to UDems' voting procedures, especially UDLC elections. My goal is to prevent any election irregularities, strengthen voter anonymity, and boost overall confidence in the veracity of the election results.

Upon entering office, I plan to establish an elections commission tasked with reforming our election procedures. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. Centralized ballot submission

All in-person ballots will be submitted at a single location: the front of the meeting room. Each voting member will place their ballot into a secure ballot box and have their name checked off to prevent double voting.

2. Election Observation Rights

Each candidate for a UDLC position will be entitled to appoint a supporter—who is not a current UDLC member—to observe the ballot collection and tabulation process from a reasonable distance.

3. Recounts

If a two-candidate race (including an instant-runoff) is decided by less than a 5 percentage-point margin, the losing candidate will have the right to petition for a recount.

For any races with more than two candidates or two-person races decided by more than 5 percentage points, any losing candidate may petition for the vote totals of each round to be read aloud and request the general membership for a recount.

During a recount, ballots will be read aloud one-by-one and tabulated by mutliple people to ensure accuracy and total transparency.

4. Anonymous electronic voting options

I plan to establish a temporary committee to explore and develop a plan to make absentee voting in UDLC elections 100% anonymous, while still maintaining robust safeguards against double voting and ensuring only eligible members can vote.

If this effort is successful, my hope is that we can make all voting in UDLC elections electronic.

Earlier this month, I proposed - and successfully led the passage of - a constitutional amendment expanding the UDems Leadership Council (UDLC) from seven to nine members.

The first new office I created is the one I am running for: Parliamentarian. I believe having a dedicated UDLC officer focused solely on clear, impartial rulekeeping will help build trust among our members and leadership.

The other new office I created was the Member-at-Large, whose job will be to serve as a mentor and trusted point of contact for new members, and relieve other UDLC officers with various tasks not clearly assigned to any one position.

I'm proud of my amendment to expand UDLC, and I firmly believe it will strengthen the collective wisdom of our leadership team.

I also hope that my effort in taking such a bold step in expanding UDLC can demonstrate to you, the voting members who will decide our organization's next semester of leadership, that I'm committed to my platform of "optimism and big ideas."