As elections season approaches, the Emerald editorial board has met and discussed every proposed ballot measure and the candidates for the executive slate. We’ve considered what would be in the best interest of students, so here’s our guide.

OSPIRG — NO

The Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group has long been a contentious contender for student funding and we firmly believe this organization should not receive any of your money. OSPIRG is asking us to foot the bill for professional lobbyists in Salem and Washington D.C. Student fees should stay on campus and this organization is proposing doing just the opposite. We vote no.

Post-deadline budget amendment — YES

As it stands, the ASUO president has the power to pass a budget if the Senate is deadlocked on a draft. This gives the executive seat too much power and stands in opposition of the system of checks and balances that defines fair governing. Voting in favor of this measure provides a check on the executive’s influence. We vote yes.

Ballot measure qualification — YES

Again, this ballot measure seeks to balance the power between two branches of student government. We vote yes.

Non-fulfillment — YES

The repercussions for the slightest policy infraction breached by a student government representative are too extreme. This measure alleviates that issue. We vote yes.

Elections Board independence — YES

Why the Elections Board was ever directly influenced by the executive staff is beyond us. Independence makes sense. We vote yes.

Elections operations amendment — YES

The more structure in the operations process, the better. We vote yes.

Senator office hours amendment — NO

Senators want to hold one office hour a week after 5 p.m. at a location outside the EMU. This makes office hours more complicated than they need to be. We vote no.