Based on data from the Western Australian Electoral Commission, Guild Archives, and other available sources, Antonate Silvergreen’s ‘The Numbers’ aims to bring you the significant and often insignificant numbers of this year’s Guild Elections. For Vol.1 we are focusing on the numbers relating to the most recent Guild Election events, namely candidate nominations and the Ballot Draw.
Here are the numbers that do and don’t matter:
313
The number of candidates for Ordinary Guild Councilor (OGC) in 2017. This is the highest number of candidates ever, being nearly double last year’s total. Ten years ago there were only 85 candidates.
300
The number of OGC candidates who will not get elected – there are only 13 positions.
173
The number of candidates for OGC from LAUNCH in 2017. This was also the total number of OGC candidates in 2016.
2
Candidates for the YES FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY ticket (Caleb Holmes and Chris Grant). This is the first new group contesting Guild elections since 2015, when LAUNCH first ran. The group may be new, but the candidates are not. Caleb and Chris have run in Guild Elections in previous years with LEFT ACTION.
14%
The proportion of OGC candidates since 2001 that have been elected from those that have nominated. In 2017 in will be just 4%.
69%
The proportion of OGC candidates since 2001 that have been first on the ballot position, and have been elected. This year, Yuki Rhee from LAUNCH holds the lucky position.
5
The number of candidates named Jacob – the most popular first name amongst the 337 candidates. Alex, Chris, James and Luke each have 4.
7
The number of times Emma Norton has run for Guild Council (including 2017). She first ran for Women’s Officer in 2011. She was elected as an OGC in 2014. This year she is running for NUS Representative, a position she has been elected to in 2014 and 2015.
60%
The proportion of first preference votes won by STAR 2016 presidential candidate Nevin Jayawardena out of first preference votes for the two major parties. The remaining 40% were won by LAUNCH 2016 presidential candidate Wei Tien Sng. Nevin received 1,939 first preference votes while Wei received 1,292.
Intriguingly, 60% is also Nevin’s share of both candidates’ combined Facebook likes on their nomination announcement profile pictures. Nevin’s profile picture received 514 likes to Wei’s 321.
Words by Julian Coleman and Ed Hollingdale.
Declarations: Julian Coleman ran for OGC and Senate Rep in 2015 on the STAR ticket and served a term as OGC and Senate Rep in 2016. He is currently the President of Bloom UWA, a Guild affiliated club. Edward Hollingdale is currently the Maths Union Treasurer and BPhil Union VP Education, and therefore sits on Guild Education Council.