6:00 PM

BREAKING: Motika violates campaign ban

Farrago has learnt that Community's presidential candidate and incumbent General Secretary Daniel Motika has violated the campaign ban imposed upon him, posting Community campaign material via an Instagram story, hours before his campaign ban has lapsed. His campaign ban is scheduled to be lifted tonight at 11:59pm.

3:40 PM

Bubbles and babbles at Baillieu

With Community campaigners leaving for today, all is quiet at Baillieu. Remaining campaigners from Together, Socialist Action, Progress, Better and the Independent Artists Co-operative are chitchatting, blowing bubbles and are handing out flyers to the occasional passerby. It is now safe to pass through the area.

3:30 PM

Community banned for the rest of the day

Community's second campaigner ban has now come into effect, and will last for the rest of the election day. Community campaigners packed up early before their ban came into effect. Community's General Secretary candidate Corbin Afanasyev told Farrago that campaigners packed up early as a precaution against breaches caused by candidates wearing campaign shirts after the ban.

3:15 PM

BREAKING: Motika banned

The Returning Officer has once again shocked election observers by issuing a candidate ban on Community's presidential candidate, General Secretary Daniel Motika. During his tenure as the General Secretary, Motika has been implicated in a range of scandals which have inflicted reputational damage upon Community. Under the ban, Motika will be prohibited from "all campaigning and campaign assistance activity" for the rest of the day. The reason for Motika's ban is currently unknown, and Farrago has reached out to Motika for comment. 

2:30 PM

Campaigners mogged by döner kebab truck

Campaigners in Amphitheatre today have been outshined by a lone döner kebab truck just outside Building 168. Earlier today, a massive line amassed outside the building as students lined up to purchase food from the Oh My Döner pop-up store, which was well received by students. The truck has now closed its doors, leaving the Ampitheatre empty.

1:55 PM

Reason for Zarubin's ban finally revealed 

The reason for Progress candidate Nikolai Zarubin's ban has finally been revealed. The following statement was received by Farrago from the ticket:

"Nikolai made a severe and continuous lapse in his judgement."

An anonymous tip sent to Farrago has revealed the true extent of his heinous crimes, alleging that Zarubin had instructed a student on how to vote in the queue. 

Zarubin's ban caught attention the other day as the following ban duration was attached to it: "until he speaks to the RO".

EDIT: Progress has told Farrago that the anonymous tip was submitted by a friend of Zarubin.

12:50 PM

Community reassembles at Baillieu

Community campaigners regrouped at Baillieu Library after their ban ended. Reports indicate that Community campaigners currently outnumber Together and the other tickets.

12:35 PM

Community's ban end

Community's first ban today has ended. A few Community campaigners have only just showed up at Building 168 to get dressed for campaigning. Together campaigners have greeted Community with a loudspeaker that is currently playing ABC by the Jackson Five. The song has become associated with an online campaign against Community, which has adopted the slogan "anyone but Community" (ABC). The song has been embraced by multiple tickets.

11:11 AM

Quiet morning on campus

Amid the Community ban, this morning has been rather quiet on campus. While a few students have now left from their morning classes, breathing life into campus, reports earlier in the morning suggest that there were initially more campaigners than there were normal students. The first phase of the Community ban will end at 12:30pm.

11:00 AM

Today a pivotal test for Community

Community's ticket-wide campaigner ban is in effect this morning, and in total will last for four hours, spread over the morning and afternoon. The first phase of the ban will last for two and a half hours, and is scheduled to be in effect between 10am and 12:30pm, while the second phase of their ban will last for one and a half hours, between 3:30pm and 5:00pm. Amid this turmoil and a flailing election campaign, today will be a pivotal test of turnout for Community, going into the final day of the election.

However, the reason for today's bans is still not currently known, and Farrago has not yet received a response from the Returning Officer about why they were issued. Farrago also reached out to Community's General Secretary candidate Corbin Afanasyev for comment, but did not receive a response.

10:00 AM

Second last day of the election

Good morning UniMelb! Day 4 of the UMSU elections is upon us, and there are now just two days left for campaigners to convince students that they are best suited to run the student union. Can Community overcome its myriad controversies and pull off a historic fifth term in power, or can Together persuade voters that it should be given a go at running UMSU? Let's find out today. Join us on Day 4 as we keep you informed throughout the day!

1:00 AM

Together gains momentum

While Community quickly bounced back after its three-hour ban, the ticket's campaigner turnout failed to noticeably rise above the levels of Day 2 of Election Week. Together ran competitively against Community today, and was almost entirely uncontested in the morning, with only a sparse number of Socialist Action and Progress campaigners present.

During the Community ban, Together campaigners reported a greater reception from voters, which seems to be at least partially supported by Farrago's observations—students appeared to be more relaxed in high-density voting areas, and one voter that Farrago spoke to even claimed that the 'timidness' of Together campaigners was "refreshing". Whether this is indicative of a broader trend is unclear, but nonetheless, Community currently has bigger things to worry about, in the form of its two bans later today.

Anyways, I've been up for too long. Let's call it a night! Thanks for joining us again, and come back in a few hours for our fourth and second last day of live election coverage!

12:30 AM

Pardallis announces Southbank cartwheel convention

In a display of authority after an uncontested election, provisionally elected Southbank Campus Co-ordinator Elizabeth Pardallis has announced a snap cartwheel convention at Southbank, to be held at 1:15pm outside the Southbank Library. In a publicised statement on Instagram, Pardallis called on Southbank students to join the convention, in a challenge against Parkville.

"On Parkville campus they're having a cartwheel competition [...] Southbank has to take part, because we are the campus that does the cartwheels, and tomorrow I'm calling on you to come outside of the library at 1:15pm to do cartwheels," Pardallis said. 

11:00 PM

BREAKING: Community hit with second election ban

In a shocking turn of events, Community has been hit with a second consecutive campaigning ban by the Returning Officer, in a massive blow for the ticket. Community will be banned from campaigning between 10am and 12:30pm, and 3:30 to 5:00pm. It is currently unknown why Community has received a second ban.

9:16 PM

BREAKING: Samuel's official response

Community's former cartwheel record holder, Samuel Licciardino has issued an official statement regarding the now broken record. Please see below.

8:00 PM

The reason for Community's ban now known

The reason for Community's three-hour ban today is now known. Farrago can reveal that Community's ban was issued by the Returning Officer over multiple reported cases of Community campaigners crossing into prohibition zones around the vicinity of polling places. A one-hour ban was issued for regulation violations at each of the three polling places at Parkville—Building 168, Baillieu Library, and the FBE Building—amounting to a three-hour ban in total for Community.

Returning Officer Stephen Luntz cited multiple cases, including two incidents where Community campaigners observed students vote at polling booths. Luntz also cited one incident where a campaigner at Baillieu entered the library through the glass door and talked to a student while they were voting. The campaigner was told to leave four times, but repeatedly came back, which Luntz described as "completely egregious" conduct. Election officials acknowledged that not every breach committed was as severe but stressed that such bans would be imposed "to reinforce the importance" of election regulations, with "not one foot over the masking tape."

7:34 PM

Southbank throws their hat in the ring

We've received word that the cartwheel challenge has also made its way over to the Southbank campus! I've also heard whisperings of Progress taking up the challenge, but have yet to receive video evidence of the event...

7:12 PM

Giving the people what they want

Ruby has returned to the live blog to give the people what they want—an update on the cartwheels. Potentially the most asked question today was if anyone had been able to beat Samuel Licciardino's 14 cartwheel (? if that's what we want to call them) record. Yesterday afternoon, Together's Elle secured the new top spot, with a record breaking TWENTY-EIGHT CARTWHEELS!

6:50 PM

784 votes cast on Day 3

The Returning Officer has now released voter turnout figures for Day 3, reporting a total of 784 votes cast today, Today's turnout is 31 per cent smaller than Day 2, but is 12 per cent greater than the turnout on Day 1. A total of 2,628 votes have been cast thus far.

5:00 PM

Voting ends on Day 3

Voting has officially ended today, with the closing of the polls at Building 168. Three days down, and two more to go. Campaigners are heading home now.

4:43 PM

Together exposé video taken down

Together has seemingly taken down an earlier video it posted, where former Community Welfare OBs condemned their former ticket. In the video, former Welfare OBs Filia Cahyadi and Rhea Sankar criticised Community for claiming the University's new three-day extensions, a range of Welfare policies introduced between 2024 and 2025, and also criticised the ticket's treatment of its campaigners and politically unaffiliated members. It is not currently known why the video was taken down, and Together has declined to provide a comment.

4:00 PM

Today's Southbank update

Hello to all our Southbank readers, we've heard that you've been loving our coverage. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you! Independents for Southbank, Community and Socialist Action have all been reported to have campaigned at Southbank today. Community campaigners reportedly showed up at Southbank just after their ban had ended, before leaving shortly after at approximately 2:15pm, while Socialist Action campaigners dispersed some time before that. Together had a sparse presence at Southbank, as well as Werribee.

According to observers, Socialist Action campaigners were eating a Lionel's Cafe sausage roll and "enjoying the taste of Southbank, and the culture that it has to offer." Also yes, for those are wondering, cartwheels have indeed been reported at Southbank.

3:35 PM

Former Community Welfare OBs release damning video

Together has released a damning new video on Instagram where former Community Welfare OBs Filia Cahyadi and Rhea Sankar expressed frustration over Community's claim over a range of Welfare Department initiatives introduced between 2024 and 2025, as well as the University's new three-day no-document assignment extensions. Community and Together have both claimed credit for the three-day extensions, and according to reports, Community's ban today was related to this matter. Sankar ran for President with Growth last year, and is now running for Student Council Together this year, while Cahyadi is also affiliated with the ticket.

In the video, Cahyadi and Sankar rejected Community's claim to the three-day extensions, the Campus Canteen, the expansion of Union Mart and its frozen meals program, and the 2024 Cost of Living Report. Cahyadi and Sankar also claimed that they had split from Community over its suppression of its independent caucus, which has been gradually weakened with the increasing power of the SDA over the ticket.

"We left because we felt like the independent caucus of Community was being ignored," Sankar said.

Moreover, the video also alluded to the potential mistreatment of Community campaigners, with Cahyadi describing her personal experiences with campaigning for her former ticket.

"I felt pressured to campaign to the point of a panic attack, and the people who are now in Together were the ones who helped me," Cahyadi claimed.

2:10 PM

Community campaigner turnout recovers after ban

The number of Community campaigners on campus has recovered since the three-hour ban. There are now a significant number of Community campaigners at Amphitheatre, South Lawn, Baillieu, and around the Wominjeka sign, but Community does not have the decisive edge that it held on Monday. Community campaigners are noticeably spread out around the campus. It is unclear whether Community has more campaigners than Tuesday, and Together remains competitive. Socially anxious students: Avoid campus at all costs, and only come if you have classes!

1:45 PM

No sausages left at Building 168

Despite the event being scheduled to end at 2pm, there are no sausages left. Farrago witnessed voters looking for the event on the balcony of Ida Bar, who were visibly outraged. Farrago is also outraged.

1:15 PM

Voting time!

I'm hungry. I'm going to vote at Building 168 to get a free snag. Be back shortly! You too can pick up your own free snag from level 1 of Building 168 after you vote. Halal and vegan options included. Closes at 2pm so get in quick!

1:05 PM

Community campaign ban ends

Community's campaign three-hour campaign ban has now ended. Community campaigners are now suiting up next to Building 168 and are dispersing to reclaim their lost momentum.

12:42 PM

Large Together campaigner advantage at Amphitheatre

Together holds a large campaigner advantage over Socialist Action around Building 168. A few Socialist Action campaigners are sparsely present in the area, but Together campaigners are far more numerous. As a whole though, the mood seems to be quite relaxed, and students seem quite comfortable passing through the precinct.

12:25 PM

'Dual-ticket' Community-Socialist Action candidates can still campaign, RO rules

The Community ban last night prompted questions among election participants about whether candidates concurrently running for both Socialist Action and Community would be affected by the ban. The Returning Officer has now ruled on this novel issue, reportedly allowing for such 'dual ticket' candidates to campaign during the ban, so long as they are not campaigning for the banned ticket or their own candidacy under the banned ticket. Community's Environment OB candidate Aidan Hawe—who is also running for other positions under the Socialist Action ticket—is currently campaigning at Baillieu.

12:15 PM

Minor verbal altercation at Baillieu

A minor verbal altercation occurred between Together and Socialist Action campaigners at Baillieu, seemingly over the tickets' pro-Palestine advocacy and student union policies. One Together campaign said that the ticket was responsible for the University's new three-day no-document assignment extensions, to which one Socialist Action campaigner exclaimed "who cares about three-day extensions!" Tensions have now settled down, but the campaigners are occasionally throwing witty quips at each other.

12:00 PM

All quiet on campus

With the Community ban, campus is rather quiet. Together campaigners are currently the most numerous on campus, but a few Socialist Action and Progress campaigners are present. At Baillieu, students appear to be more receptive to campaigners than usual.

11:00 AM

Red asks: Does anyone know why Community has been campaign banned?

Hi Red, it is not currently known why Community has been banned. Farrago spoke to Community General Secretary candidate Corbin Afanasyev for comment, but did not receive a response. Early reports suggested that the ban was related to Community campaigners claiming credit for the University's new three-day no-document assignment extensions, but this appears not to be the cause for the ban, according to new information. The Returning Officer has been contacted for comment.

10:00 AM

Community begins Day 3 on one leg

Good morning UniMelb, and welcome back to our third day of live coverage of the 2026 UMSU elections, where polls have just opened at Building 168 in Parkville. Community is beginning today at a severe disadvantage after a shocking campaign ban imposed on the entire ticket last night, which will last between 10am and 1pm today. With poor campaigner turnout yesterday, and the withdrawal of an important OB candidate, Community must reclaim its campaigner advantage over Together today, in order to boost ticket morale and claw back lost momentum. If it doesn't, the consequences may prove to be fatal for the ticket. Stay with us as we keep you in the loop!

10:35 PM

BREAKING: Community banned from campaigning tomorrow

Breaking news! The Returning Officer has banned the entire Community ticket from campaigning tomorrow, between 10:00am and 1:00pm. It is not currently known why the ticket received the ban. More on this tomorrow.

10:20 PM

Let's wrap it up!

I think that's a good place to end it. Thanks for joining us for Day 2 of the elections, and join us again tomorrow for the third day of Election Week. A reminder for those who haven't voted yet—UMSU is holding the second and final day of its Democracy Sausage Sizzle event at Ida Bar tomorrow between 12 and 2pm. Pokémon Go to the polls, vote on that thang, and grab a free snag after. Halal and vegan options are also available!

10:00 PM

A disastrous day for Community

There is no sugar-coating it—today was a disastrous day for Community. With a staggering increase in voter turnout since yesterday, and a simultaneously sharp slump in campaigner turnout, Community may be in for a surprising result come the last day of the elections. According to guesstimates from some campaigners, Community may have had half of the campaigners it had yesterday. Farrago's estimates line up with such approximations.

Observers have offered various explanations for the drop in turnout, ranging from poor communication with campaigners, scheduling difficulties, and increasing awareness among Community members of the scandals plaguing Community and presidential candidate Daniel Motika. Was Monday actually a green mirage, or will campaigner turnout quickly bounce back for Community?

9:40 PM

Reports from Southbank

Hello to our friends in Southbank. My apologies for the lack of coverage on your campus! Independents for Southbank have already swept all of the campus' executive positions, with the ticket provisionally winning the positions of Campus Co-ordinator, Southbank Activities OB, and Southbank Education OB due to the lack of any opposition. Independents for Southbank will face off against Community in the campus Students Committee and for the position of Southbank representative on Student Council, which is convened in Parkville.

Elizabeth Pardallis—one of the provisionally elected candidates for Campus Co-ordinator—was reportedly the first in line to vote at Southbank. On campaigner turnout, sources in Southbank and Parkville have reported to Farrago that Community swept over Southbank campus in the morning, but almost completely disappeared at approximately 1:30pm. Together and Socialist Action were also present, but are not contesting any elected positions exclusive to Southbank students.

9:25 PM

1,141 votes cast on Day 2

The Returning Officer has reported that 1,141 votes were cast today—an impressive 62.3 per cent increase in voter turnout since yesterday. A total of 1,844 votes have now been cast by voters.

8:00 PM

Five campaigner bans today

There were five campaigner bans issued today, including five Community campaigners and two Together campaigners. The three campaign bans issued to Community campaigners include outstanding social media penalties which will last until the end of the election.

One of the bans today occurred when a candidate attempted to speak to Farrago just outside Baillieu, forgetting that the area immediately outside is restricted for campaigners. Unfortunately, they also happened to be in the presence of the Returning Officer, warranting a 40-minute ban. Farrago feels kind of bad for what happened...

7:20 PM

Rumours circulate about further candidate withdrawals

The news about the withdrawal of one of Community's Clubs & Societies candidates spread like wildfire today, prompting rumours that there will be a wave of candidate withdrawals from Community in the coming days. Farrago has been unable to corroborate these rumours.

7:09 PM

Community running one candidate in a third of co-leadership executive positions

The withdrawal of one of Community's OB candidates for Clubs & Societies today was a massive blow for the ticket, with the department being a prized pickup opportunity for Community. Last year, Clubs & Societies was the only executive position won by opposition ticket Activate—which has now been absorbed into Together.

With the loss of one of their Clubs & Societies candidates, Community is now only running a single candidate in four out of twelve of the co-leadership executive positions (where tickets typically run two candidates). Of those are Clubs & Societies, Activities—where one of their candidates was found ineligible—Environment and Education (Public Affairs). Community's lone candidates for Environment and Education (Public) are members of Socialist Alternative, who are concurrently running for other elected positions under the Socialist Action ticket.

6:30 PM

Day 2 complete

With voting now closed in Baillieu, Day 2 of Election Week is now wrapped up. Campaigners are heading home after a long, eventful day.

5:20 PM

Community campaigner turnout plummets

It's official: The campaigner turnout of Community has collapsed. While just yesterday, it seemed like Community's decisive advantage in voter turnout would usher them into a landslide victory, that advantage has sharply fallen today. While at random intervals, Community has held a small turnout advantage in some university precincts, as a whole, Together is now competitive against the other tickets. Is this an early sign of a sinking Community campaign?

4:50 PM

Pryce hath returned

Hello everyone, I have finally returned. My sincerest apologies for going to my classes instead of doing student politics coverage. A big thank you to my editor Ruby for manning the ship and blessing us with her cartwheel coverage. I will try to do my best to live up to the standard she set. Anyways, back to some hard news...

3:59 PM

Diminished crowd at Baillieu 

As the day edges towards a close, students seem to have dispersed from the entrance of the Baillieu, leaving only campaigners to campaign to one another. Farrago can confirm that the inside of the Baillieu is full, with seats almost impossible to find. Is it simply the Week 7 blues or is everyone hiding out?

3:38 PM

Community's Sam Licciardino in hot water

The viability of Sam's cartwheels have been called into question by a number of so called "Cartwheel Experts" on our question line.

Cartwheel Aficionado asks: How are we counting cartwheels? Cartwheels are meant to have hips travel over the shoulders. What i saw of the cartwheels attempted were more akin to a frog jump or half cartwheel. Integrity is important in this election
Cartwheel Aficionado says: Just saw Lushy's round off and cartwheels. they count for sure
Tadgh says: Those 14 cartwheels were clearly not proper cartwheels. They were half cartwheels at best. The people demand consistent standards and fair competition!

What do we think? Do Sam's cartwheels count or will Community need a redo?

3:29 PM

Georgia asks: When should we expect to know the results of the election?

M asks: Do we know when we can expect to find out election results, and what data will be available afterwards? (will we find out specific voting numbers and/or any information about voting demographics?)
To answer both your questions (with some help from Deputy Returning Office, Patrick Clearwater)—the voting is counted electronically. For the past few years, there has been an event run on the Friday afternoon after the polls close where the results for single-member positions and all the first preferences for multi-member positions are shown. Farrago will be in attendance and will be completing live updates for you all to keep up.
Over the weekend, results are then verified and hopefully finalised and published by early next week!
The Returning Officers also complete an Election Report, which is available soon after the finalisation of votes. This usually has a whole heap of information about how the election ran, complaints that were made, voter turnout etc. You can view past ones here to give you an idea of what is to come.

3:18 PM

Together's Lushy Chinganya responds to Samuel's record

Lushy has yet to beat Samuel's record breaking 14 cartwheels—but, has anyone ever seen a Teletubby cartwheel? Well, now you have!

2:56 PM

The Cartwheel Guy says: I would like to inform Farrago Magazine that Community Environment Committee candidate Sam Licciardino has beaten Lushy’s record of five cartwheels yesterday, with a grand total of 7 cartwheels. I would additionally like to request a running cartwheel counter on the live election coverage website.

I am working on a cartwheel counter! Stay tuned.

2:50 PM

itsmi asks: Are there numbers on distribution of votes from day 1? Do we know whether more community campaigners on the ground is translating to more votes in the polls?
Unfortunately, we do not have this data! All of our estimates come from the traction we see on the ground and how many students are engaging with each of the parties.

2:41 PM

The Cartwheel Fanatic asks: Will we continue to have great cartwheel coverage (and other such shenanigans) from the respected Farrago Magazine?

Of course! This election has become about one thing and one thing only—who can complete the most cartwheels? Can anyone beat our reigning champion Samuel from Community?

2:30 PM

And just like that, Community has responded!

In an Instagram message received by Farrago at 2:03 pm, Community's Samuel Licciardino has obliterated the competition, completing a record breaking 14 cartwheels! Who will step up to the challenge next?

2:21 PM

Pryce is on break (yawn)

Farrago Editor Ruby Weir-Alarcon will be taking over coverage while Pryce attends his Contracts class. Who on Earth could be thinking about class when a cartwheel competition is upon us?

1:30 PM

Returning Officer rules that calling tickets "evil" is allowed

According to accounts from campaigners at Baillieu, the Returning Officer has ruled that calling tickets "evil" does not constitute a breach of election rules. Campaigners from rival tickets expressed frustration earlier about Community referring to their tickets by the emotionally-charged label.

1:23 PM

Doesn't matter asks: Why is [Lushy] banned from campaigning on Tuesday?

Hi, Doesn't matter, as you point to, President Lushy Chinganya, who is Together's candidate for People of Colour OB, is banned from campaigning today between 4:30 to 6:30pm. Chinganya made an appearance today at Baillieu in a red Teletubby outfit, where Farrago spoke to her about her ban. Chinganya says that she was not told why she was banned.

Ella asks: did lushy get banned for doing cartwheels?

Hi Ella, Farrago spoke to Together presidential candidate Lottie Jenkins about this, this morning, and she declined to comment about whether Chingaya's ban was related to her cartwheels.

12:55 PM

Progress campaigners play 'anti-Community' song outside Baillieu

Progress campaigners outside Baillieu Library are playing the 1970 song ABC by the Jackson Five on their loudspeakers. The song has become associated with a brutal online campaign against Community, which has adopted the slogan "anyone but Community" (ABC).

12:33 PM

Tickets respond to President's cartwheel challenge

At Baillieu, multiple tickets have responded to President Lushy's Chinganya cartwheel challenge. One Community and one Together candidate responded to the challenge, performing cartwheels outside the library. Together campaigners noted that Community was counting their cartwheels, exclaiming "stop the steal!" A Progress campaigner also responded to the challenge with their own cartwheel, which prompted one Together campaigner to boo them.

EDIT: The comment's attribution has been amended following a correction from a Progress campaigner. Farrago would like to sincerely apologise for this grave error.

12:25 PM

Returning Officer makes appearance at Baillieu

Returning Officer Stephen Luntz has made a surprise appearance at Baillieu, and is currently hearing out potential infractions by campaigners. According to campaigners, Luntz came to Baillieu to have lunch.

12:20 PM

Number of Community campaigners sharply drops

The number of Community campaigners on campus has significantly depressed, with Together maintaining a small competitive edge at FBE, South Lawn and Baillieu. Reportedly, Community campaigners are out for lunch.

11:40 AM

Major candidate withdrawal

One of Community's Clubs and Societies OB candidates has withdrawn their candidacy, in the first major candidate withdrawal in the election. Fellow candidate Alexander Hams, who is the current Welfare OB, will remain on the ballot. Four other candidates have also withdrawn, while one other has been found ineligible.

11:20 AM

Returning Officer releases list of bans

The Returning Officer has released a list of bans handed out to campaigners. Among the bans are six Socialist Action candidates (including one Community), five Community candidates (including one Socialist Action), four Together candidates, and one non-candidate campaigner.

11:00 AM

Polls open in Southbank and Burnley

Polls have now opened in Southbank and Burnley, marking the official beginning of the election outside Parkville. Polling booths can be accessed in The Hub (Building 863) at Southbank, across from the library bathrooms, and the ground floor of Building 908 at the Burnley Student Hub, outside the cafeteria.

10:00 AM

Day 2 begins

Good morning UniMelb! Day 2 of Election Week has now begun. Polling will open today in Southbank and Burnley. According to reports we've received, candidates are already campaigning in Southbank, ahead of polls opening at 11:00. Stay with us for more!

7:00 PM

Thanks for joining us!

And on that note, let's wrap things up here. Thanks for joining us today, and join us tomorrow for Day 2 of Election Week!

5:50 PM

Community well-positioned to win re-election

Day 1 of the campaign was a strong showing for Community, with the ticket dominating in engagement with students through the sheer number of their campaigners. Community's controversies appear not to have had an impact on the ground, with Together lagging behind Community in voter engagement, due to their lower number of volunteers.

5:10 PM

Voting closes at Parkville

Voting has now closed at Parkville campus. Campaigners regrouped around the Amphitheatre at 5:00pm before shortly packing up and leaving. It looks like the first day of campaign has wrapped up.

4:55 PM

Beiraghi instigates interaction with Jenkins

Students for Palestine convener and Socialist Action candidate Bella Beiraghi seemingly attempted to instigate a fight with Together presidential candidate Lottie Jenkins at Amphitheatre at 4:45. "Don't claim to be working with Students for Palestine!", she was heard yelling to Jenkins. Jenkins acknowledged Beiraghi but walked away, maintaining a composed smile. Jenkins is a member of the Greens.

Farrago has heard credible reports of a similar incident instigated by Beiraghi at Baillieu Library, but has not yet been able to independently verify the account.

EDIT: The quote has been amended following new information provided by Beiraghi.

4:40 PM

Jeff asks: How does everyone take this so seriously and when will it be over.... GOD HELP ME

Hi Jeff, voting is open from Monday to Friday this week, and will close on Friday 5:00pm at Building 168 and Baillieu.

4:15 PM

UMSU President does two (2) cartwheels

UMSU President Lushy Chinganya shocked Farrago by doing TWO cartwheels at the Amphitheatre at approximately 4:10pm today. Community has yet to respond.

4:03 PM

Elizabeth asks: Why are some Community candidates bashing Labor-Left aligned Together candidates when Community is largely aligned with Labor-Right?

Hi Elizabeth, the simplest explanation is that clashes between Labor Left and Labor Right-aligned candidates are often heated as student union elections are more so than not framed around political ideology and social issues, rather than traditional party politics. While publicly, Labor factions are expected to present a united front, within university contexts, anything is fair game. Well... within the limits of what is acceptable. As student union elections are about ideological issues, rather than party politics, interactions between students in Labor Left and Right in student union elections can often be... interesting?

For the hacks who are reading this blog, feel free to leave a simpler explanation on our questions form.

3:30 PM

Returning Officer addresses technical difficulties

The Returning Officer Stephen Luntz told Farrago about technical difficulties reported at some polling booths. According to Luntz, some laptops may occasionally "drop out" at random intervals, but reassured voters that voting as a whole remains smooth. According to Luntz, such technical difficulties should be solved by tomorrow through "redundancy".

3:10 PM

Amphitheatre empty

The Amphitheatre appears to be mostly empty, with very few campaigners present. Farrago can now officially declare that Building 168 is the safest place to vote for those of you who are socially anxious.

2:55 PM

Diminished Together presence at Baillieu

Together campaigners are almost completely absent from Baillieu Library. Only three Together campaigners are present at Baillieu, completely drowned out by Community, Socialist Action and Progress.

2:42 PM

Jenkins courts Chinese language voters

Away from the main events at Building 168 and Baillieu, Together presidential candidate Lottie Jenkins is making inroads among Chinese language voters around the FBE Building, amassing a small crowd at Melbourne Law School at 2:15, as well as other small groups of students. Her trick? Despite coming from a Western background, she is a Mandarin speaker, having grown up in Hong Kong and Singapore.

2:30 PM

FBE Building voting operational

Farrago has learnt that voting at the Faculty of Business and Economics Building was disrupted between approximately 1:00pm and 1:30pm due to technical difficulties with computers at the voting booths. The problem has been fixed, and students can now once again cast their ballots at FBE. 

1:36 PM

Campaigners slacking on duty

Bored campaigners have dispersed from Amphitheatre, despite a large number of students who have gathered around for lunch. While a few straggling campaigners remain, most appear to be slacking, chitchatting and going on their phones. Most of Community's campaign volunteers have gone off, leaving only a few from Together, Independent Media, the Independent Artists Co-operative, and Socialist Action. 

12:35 PM

Clubs and societies endorse tickets

This morning, Community announced a range of endorsements from various clubs and societies, following a rush of endorsements for Together yesterday. So far, endorsements for Together include Habitat for Humanity, Sexpression, the Swifties' Society, the Greens Club, the Creative Literature and Writing Society, and the Pokemon Observation, Knowledge and Evolution Nation. Today's endorsements for Community include the Bollywood Club, the Pakistani Society, the Punjabi Student Association, the Bangladeshi Student Society, the Indian Graduate Student Society, the Iranian Society, and the Construction Students Association.

More controversially, Community has also embraced an endorsement from the UniMelb branch of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA), which itself has drawn controversy for Community. The national CSSA—which the UniMelb branch is an affiliate of— has deep rooted ties to the Chinese embassy, as reported by the ABC, which has raised domestic safety concerns for Chinese dissidents, and critics of Beijing. In June's session of Student Council, President Lushy Chinganya raised concerns over Motika's apparently close association with the CSSA, and whether this relationship constituted a breach given the Council's focus on the CSSA's disaffiliation from Clubs and Societies.

12:00 PM

Voting opens at the FBE Building

Polling has now opened at the Faculty of Business and Economics Building (Building 105). Fellow JD students, this will be the closest place for you to vote!

11:55 AM

Motika speaks to Independent Media campaigner

According to a campaigner for Independent Media, they were approached by Community presidential candidate and General Secretary Daniel Motika, who was reportedly confused about their affiliation, mistaking the text on their campaign shirt for "Together". Farrago did not witness the unusual event.

11:43 AM

Community and Socialist Action leaders briefly convene at Amphitheatre

A small crowd of Community and Socialist Action campaigners briefly convened at Amphitheatre at approximately 11:32. Among the small crowd was Community's General Secretary and presidential candidate Daniel Motika, Students for Palestine national convener Bella Beiraghi, and Amaya Castro Williams, who is Community's candidate for Environment OB.

Castro Williams is running for Environment under the Community ticket, as well as NUS delegate under the Socialist Action ticket. While this move by Socialist Action and Community has received substantial criticism, it is permitted under the UMSU electoral regulations.

11:22 AM

Socialist Action decries Together Labor campaigners

Campaigners from Socialist Action, who are affiliated with Socialist Alternative, appear to be telling voters not to vote for Together, on the basis that it is affiliated with Labor. Farrago understands that Socialist Action has formed a coalition agreement with Community.

Community is operated by the traditionally conservative SDA sub-faction of Labor Right. Together comprises a broad progressive coalition of Labor, Greens, and politically unaffiliated members. In one minor altercation at 11:05, Together Education (Public) OB candidate Toby Putland rebutted such a claim made by a Socialist Action campaigner to a student, telling them "just don't vote for Community!"

11:05 AM

1 hour in

We're now one hour into the election, and students are heading out of class. Most students appear to be ignoring campaigners at Baillieu Library. Community and Socialist Action, who have the most campaigners here, appear to be having the most traction with voters.

10:55 AM

(Election) Business as usual at Baillieu

It's business at usual (by election standards) at Baillieu Library. While the number of voters at Baillieu Library appears to be visibly smaller than Building 168, campaigners appear to be more concentrated outside. Passersby, beware!

10:37 AM

Polls open at Baillieu Library

Polls have officially opened at Baillieu Library. As students prepare to cast their votes at Baillieu, things seem to be proceeding smoothly at Building 168.

10:30 AM

Campaigners mobilise around Building 168

Farrago has officially made it to Building 168! Voters have gathered inside to line up to vote, where everything seems to be in order. Campaigners have gathered outside the building, with people from Community, Together, and Socialist Action (Socialist Alternative). Minor ticket Progress is also present. Community has a visibly dominant number of campaigners outside the building.

10:00 AM

Polling underway

Voting is now officially underway, with polls opening in Parkville campus! Voting has now opened in Building 168, while polls will open at Baillieu Library at 10:30am, and the FBE Building (Building 105) at 12:00pm.

9:00 AM

Welcome to our live election blog!

Good morning UniMelb, and welcome to Farrago's official blog for the 2026 UMSU elections, where we will keep you updated on current events through the week. Voting will open in Parkville campus today at 10:00am. Stay with us as we wait for polls to open!