Aasim Yahya

UC Berkeley sophomore Deena Ali, endorsed by the Middle Eastern Muslim Sikh and South Asian Coalition, or MEMSSA, is running independently for ASUC Senate.

Joined in excitement from behind an array of digital screens, independent candidates won the majority of ASUC executive seats for the second consecutive year during Saturday's tabulations ceremony.

Aasim Yahya, a UC Berkeley junior, is running for ASUC external affairs vice president as an independent candidate on a platform rooted in democratizing civic engagement at the campus, city and state levels.

UC Berkeley sophomore Mehnaz Grewal, endorsed by the Middle Eastern Muslim Sikh and South Asian Coalition, or MEMSSA, is running independently for ASUC Senate on a platform that includes advocating for the MEMSSA community and providing COVID-19 relief to students.

During its meeting Wednesday, the ASUC Senate approved resolutions promoting campus diversity and discussed student affairs in light of upcoming local elections and the COVID-19 pandemic.

While UC Berkeley students are relieved the cancel for nonpayment policy was suspended for the fall semester, many feel the campaign is not over.

Four campaign finance reports were denied at the annual ASUC Elections Council Campaign Finance Committee meeting Wednesday. The issues that led to the denials ranged from clerical errors to discrepancies between campaign expenditures and revenues reported.

ASUC elections have moved completely online, forcing candidates to alter their campaigning strategies and the ASUC Elections Council to find new ways to get the word out about voting. The decision was made in response to campus’s move to remote classes and the shelter-in-place order over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campus sophomore Aasim Yahya is running for ASUC Senate as the candidate endorsed by the Middle Eastern Muslim Sikh and South Asian Coalition in order to help members of the MEMSSA community find their place on campus.