After record-breaking participation in 2024, UVSS elections continue to see increased engagement
Photo by Ashlee Levy.
The University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) elections have maintained a significant increase in student engagement, marking a notable post-pandemic shift.
In the 2025 UVSS election, the voter turnout reached 22.8 per cent, surpassing 2024’s historical engagement level of 21.7 per cent — the highest voter turnout since 2001.
This upward trend is particularly striking compared to the voter turnout between 2020 and 2023, which fluctuated between 4 to 14.8 per cent.
Referendums have also seen increased engagement. For example, all referendum questions in 2021, which included the creation of open-source textbooks, re-allocation of funds, and fee increases, were not passed because they did not reach the necessary quorum as per UVSS policy, even though the majority of the 6.6 per cent voter turnout had voted “Yes.”
This year, the Pride Collective, Native Student Union, and UVic Campus Community Garden all successfully passed referendums which secured more funding for the advocacy groups.
Climbing voter engagement is also reflected on the provincial level in B.C., as the 2024 election saw a voter turnout of 58.3 per cent, up from 53.86 per cent in 2020.
The same pattern of pre-pandemic decline can be seen federally, with voter turnout dropping off from 67 per cent in 2019 to 62.6 per cent in 2021. As a likely federal election on April 28 looms, it’s a matter of time before we see if a subsequent rise in voter turnout will be reflected at the federal level.
As campus life returns to post-pandemic normalcy, students seem to have a renewed interest in university governance and community involvement, which aligns with broader patterns observed at the provincial level. Political polarization has also continued to rise worldwide, and people seem more inclined to engage in political action.
Such is the case of this UVSS election as the platform of Lachlan Van Egmond, unopposed candidate for UVSS Director of Finance, caused controversy among the student body.
Students opened multiple posts on the r/UVic Reddit platform asking other students to vote “No” for this candidate — primarily based on Van Egmond’s proposal to implement a “DOGE style body” for the UVSS. Ultimately, 3 014 “No” votes (77.6 per cent of voters) were counted for Van Egmond.
This surge in student voter engagement suggests a shift in priorities, with students becoming more involved and increasingly invested in campus governance and advocacy.
Whether it is because of a return to normalcy since the pandemic, dissatisfaction with certain candidates and ideologies, or a reflection of broader political trends, the rising voter turnout marks a departure from years of apparent apathy.
Student voices are growing louder — and they are making themselves heard at the ballot box.
