Taehan Lee

ASUC President Zaynab AbdulQadir-Morris faced reductions to her stipend because she did not meet the deadline for submitting her accountability reports.

Seven of the independent candidates for the ASUC were brought before the ASUC Judicial Council for elections-related violations. All the recent candidates pleaded guilty to charges at their hearings, which were held Thursday and Friday.

During the first post-election ASUC meeting, Judicial Council Chair Maureen Ochi Sides discussed the 10 upcoming hearings related to elections violations.

Candidates typically run on three platforms that they aim to accomplish during the senate term. This year’s senators have found mixed success with achieving their platforms within the academic year, according to several members of the 2017-18 cohort.

To be backed by a party, a candidate has to endure a lengthy application process — one of the largest differences between running party-supported versus independently.

As early as the third grade, Juniperangelica Cordova knew she could hold political office. She lost her elementary school election for vice president, but that didn’t stop her.

Benefits of independent candidacy include an increased focus on a candidate’s particular platform, according to several current independent candidates.

As ASUC elections draw nearer, more referendums are being added to the ballot — students will be able to vote on a referendum that will revise the ASUC Constitution, and, depending on the outcome of this week’s ASUC meeting, may also be able to vote on key housing issues.

A political science major, Lee has worked under political figures such as U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, and he is currently a policy director for ASUC Senator Taehan Lee.

UC Berkeley sophomore Regina Kim announced her independent candidacy Sunday evening for ASUC Senate in the upcoming spring 2018 elections.