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THIS YEAR’S YUSU elections were marred by vandalism and the destruction of candidates’ election posters. In an election with remarkably low turnout, multiple candidates for full-time and part-time officer roles reported that their posters were being taken down or ripped up, with foul play suspected on the part of drunk students.
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Piles of cardboard were gathered up in a candidate clean up, following the destruction of many posters. Most notably, a candidate for Disabled Students Officer, Sam Linley, found his printed A4 posters had remained in place – but the image of his face had been burned off.
On the vandalism of his posters, Linley said: “It’s pathetic really – people burnt a few posters, ripped a few down. It was 20 minutes of my life to put them back off. What have you achieved other making me from feeling a bit crap. Obviously I wasn’t the only one to have been targeted, it’s just unfortunate with YUSU Elections that these things happen.”
Activities sabbatical officer Alex Lusty was quick to attribute the destruction to university staff and intoxicated students, “The atmosphere surrounding this year’s elections was a significant improvement upon last year. However, it’s an unfortunate fact that every year posters get taken down; this is usually a mixture of drunk students, over-zealous estates staff and the wind. I would also encourage students to consider the amount of work which candidates put into their campaigns, and to be considerate of their efforts.”
However, despite assurances that most of the posters had been damaged by the weather, there are suspicions of foul play. One candidate remarked on University Radio Talk, a URY News show, – “There’s very few instances I’ve seen the wind carrying a pair of scissors, cutting cable ties, so I think it can be more than just the weather.”
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