College Republicans’ New $50 Fee to Vote; Leadership Retains Control
Image courtesy of Patrick D. Lewis
By Patrick D. Lewis
The CUA College Republicans club now requires $50.00 in dues to be paid to the student organization by members in order to be eligible to vote in club officer elections, according to a recently-approved amendment to the club constitution. The changes were not announced to club membership before or after they went into effect; the dues requirements were not mentioned at all until February 27, three weeks after the amendment and only a few days before club elections were held on March 2..
The Nest page for the College Republicans shows that the constitution was amended on February 6, 2025. An amendment to the constitution takes effect “upon ratification by all five of the existing Executive Board members,” according to the document. It is unclear which five officers this refers to, as the constitution names eight officers as being members of the executive board in Article IV, Section 1.
The February 6 constitution changes the definition of “credentialed voter,” makes changes to the line of succession for the club, and changes how nominations for officer positions can be made.
“Credentialed voter” is one of two classes of membership in the club; the other class, “general member,” does not confer rights to vote in officer elections at the club’s yearly Annual Convention. Credentialed voters, in the old constitution, were members who “have active attendance and participation as determined by the President in collaboration with the Vice President of Membership.”
In the new constitution, a general member can become a credentialed voter either by paying a $50 due “made out to the Club and collected by the President for deposit with the Treasurer” or by making a claim of “financial hardship,” at which point the President may decide to reduce or entirely waive the dues based on the applicant’s “active attendance and participation.”
According to multiple students who are members of the club, no notification of this change was made to the membership. The first reference to the changes came in a February 27 email sent to the club that announced the time, date, and location of the annual convention.
After these details, the email went on to say, “Those who wish to participate in the election as Credentialed Voters are encouraged to please consult our Club Constitution and prepare accordingly to bring their dues with them to the election. Additionally the Convention Rules will be disseminated to Credentialed Voters on the convention floor upon arrival.”
According to the constitution, the “convention rules” are determined by the President with the “counsel of his vice presidents” before being submitted to the executive board for approval. It is unclear what exactly the rules pertain to.
The elections were held the evening of March 2. Most of the current leadership was reelected, according to an email sent to the club. Changes included current Vice President of Membership Jack Hermes moving to Executive Vice President, replacing Nick Niemczyk; current club political advisor Don “Trey” Murnane picking up the VP of Membership slot; Ellie McFarland taking up the vacant Secretary position; and Gianluca Albanese replacing Kayla Brooks as treasurer.
A request for comment for this article sent to College Republicans President Owen Lee and the executive board’s email was not returned.
