The votes are in, and your new Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) president is Siddharth (Sid) Singh. The business management student is a longtime collaborator of the FSU, working with the student union as a Red Squad volunteer, Class Representative, and most recently as an FSU events ambassador. Voting closed March 6 at 2 p.m.

In total, 2,826 ballots were cast in the election, with Singh securing 1,532 votes, a comfortable 976 votes ahead of runner-up Taimoor Mujahid. In third place with 508 votes was Priteshkumar Mishra. A full breakdown of how students voted can be found at fsu.ca.

Singh campaigned on a platform of teamwork, emphasizing working with students to meet their needs. His manifesto called for giving students the option to opt out of certain ancillary fees, lowering food costs at Oasis, offering $1 coffee at South Campus, and organizing more events at area campuses.

Upon learning of his win, Singh said he was feeling a “mix of emotions,” including disbelief, gratitude, and excitement.

“I feel a sense of humility,” he added, “Recognizing the weight of the expectations placed upon me by those who voted for me.”

Singh also expressed his appreciation for everyone who voted for him, as well as all students who exercised their right to vote.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in this election,” Singh said. “While some may expect me to change after winning, I assure you that my principles remain steadfast. I am here as your president because of your support and votes. This victory is a moment for us all to celebrate, but it also signals the start of my preparations to tackle the challenges ahead.”

Singh will lead a team of FSU Directors, all of whom were acclaimed to their positions rather than elected. The 2024-2025 FSU Directors are Ananya Soni, Drashti Patel, Kara D’Arcangelo, Viraj Bongane, Vraj Modi, Saraswathy Sakthivel, Farhan Malek, and Sanket Mehta. Students also elected Shadé Dias to the FSU Board of Governors.

Results of the referendum

Also on this year’s ballot was referendum, asking students to vote either “yes” or “no” to implementing a new food security fee of $2 per semester. In spite of a lengthy campaign, spearheaded by FSU President Stephin Sathya, the referendum failed to receive enough votes to pass. For the referendum to pass, 20 per cent of students would have needed to have voted, and with only 2,785 total votes cast, the threshold was not met, meaning the referendum will not move forward. The breakdown of votes for the referendum was 1,912 in favour, 710 against, and 163 spoiled.