Food Equity & Education Drive Referendum

Referendum Timeline

• Notice Period: November 10, 2025 to November 23, 2025
• Deadline to Submit Yes/No Advocacy Committee Proposal:
  • Soft Deadline: Sunday, November 16, 2025
  • Hard Deadline: Sunday, November 23, 2025
• Campaign Period: November 24, 2025 to December 5, 2025
• Voting Period: December 2, 2025 to December 5, 2025

Referenda Unofficial Results (awaiting Board of Directors ratification)

Voting was conducted between Tuesday, December 2 and Friday, December 5, 2025. A total of 1,902 students cast their ballots in the referenda (representing 5.6% of total eligible voters).

• AGREE: 1,592 (88.7%)
• DISAGREE: 203 (11.3%)

A total of 107 students actively abstained from the vote (representing 5.6% of voters)

Important Links

Referendum Question

WHEREAS the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) Cost of Living Survey, completed by over 2,500 graduate students, reveals that 57% of graduate students are experiencing food insecurity, representing approximately 11,400 of our 20,000 members;
WHEREAS 61% of graduate students report that the cost of food prevents them from eating balanced or nutritious meals;
WHEREAS 28% of all graduate students skip meals or reduce food consumption to save money, with 7% having gone entire days without eating due to financial limitations;
WHEREAS 37% of all graduate students have limited food selection due to lack of money, forcing many to rely on low-cost, less nutritious foods;
WHEREAS students spending less than $300 monthly on food show the highest rates of food insecurity at 63%, while students with dependents face heightened financial stress regardless of spending levels;
WHEREAS UTGSU’s weekly free food lunch program in fall and winter 2024-2025 consistently sold out, demonstrating strong member demand and need for expanded food security programming;
WHEREAS the U of T Food Coalition served over 1,400 free meals to graduate and undergraduate students in 2024-2025, demonstrating the viability and demand for sustained meal programs;
WHEREAS current ad-hoc initiatives lack sustainable funding to address the widespread and urgent food security challenges facing graduate students;
WHEREAS comprehensive food security programming requires dedicated, consistent funding to ensure emergency relief, infrastructure development, and long-term sustainability.

 “Do you agree to the creation of a refundable $4.00 per semester fee for full-time students and $2.00 per semester fee for part-time students, starting in September 2026, adjusted annually based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index, collected and managed by UTGSU, and applicable in the fall and winter terms, to fund a food security program including:

• Discretionary food security and justice projects
• Emergency food relief and grants
• Infrastructure for student-run food structures and centres, including kitchen(s), storage, and growing spaces
• Student group initiatives
• Subsidized and free food programs that ensure equitable and affordable access to nutritious food.

You will have the option to vote AGREE, DISAGREE or ABSTAIN.

Register an Advocacy Committee

A group of Members may submit a committee proposal during the notice period. The role of an advocacy committee is to be the mechanism for advocating in favour of or against a proposed referenda through the official channels of the UTGSU. This will include having access to have their positions posted on the digest, social media, and other approved avenues by the Elections & Referenda. Advocacy Committees will also have a budget allocation of up to $1017.00 for pre-approved campaign-related expenses.

It is strongly encouraged that Advocacy Committees apply before the Soft Deadline on Sunday, November 16. Advocacy Campaigns will be selected after the Soft Deadline. The Hard Deadline will only apply if no applications are received by the Soft Deadline. This will help ensure that your campaign materials are created and approved in a timely manner.

How to Vote

Voting will open on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 9:00AM and close on Friday, December 5 at 11:59PM, 2025.

Only Graduate Students at the University of Toronto are allowed to vote in this referendum. You will require your UTORID and password to vote.

The voting website will be: https://utgsu.simplyvoting.com

Referendum questions will have the option to vote in favour (yes), against (no) or abstain (not vote yes or no). Please note that abstentions do not count towards the final vote count on whether the referendum question succeeds.

Referendum Complaints & Concerns

Please complete the following form to record a complaint regarding the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union 2025 By-Elections. You can find the Election and Referenda policies here. 

Please note that complaints related to specific events should be submitted in a timely manner (within five days of the issue/event occurring). You can learn more about the complaints process in Policy E1.8 Violation of Rules (or see below). If you need to submit additional details via email, please contact cro@utgsu.ca. This is the first level of complaint as per E1.8.1. and E1.8.2.

Rulings

The Chief Returning Officer and Elections & Referenda Committee adjudicate complaints and breaches of the policies and bylaws related to elections. View the rulings in the folder below.

Last updated: December 8, 2025

Appeal a Decision of the CRO

Candidates and Complainants may appeal the decision of the Chief Returning Officer to the Elections & Referenda Committee within five days of the CRO ruling. The appeal must address why the CRO made the wrong interpretation of the bylaws, policies and rules, and should not appeal simply because the Appellant disagrees with the ruling. Appeals can be submitted to erc@utgsu.ca via the following PDF form.

Frequently Asked Questions