Referenda
Similar to a referendum question you might see when casting a ballot for a local, state, or federal election, referenda at Northeastern are questions or proposals directly voted on by the student body during the annual election for Student Body President and Vice President. If you have any questions about the referenda process, please contact SGAelections@northeastern.edu or refer to the Association’s Bylaws.
2025 Referenda
View the 2025 Referenda submissions by clicking the button to the right. Approved referenda will be included in the 2025 Direct Election.
Selecting Referenda
Referenda are vetted by the SGA Executive Board using the following criteria: adherence to Northeastern policies/legality and fairness of wording. In the case that there are more than 5 referenda approved by the Executive Board, the proposals will then be voted on by the Senate to determine the top 5.
Referenda Outcome
After the Direct Election, the outcomes of the referendum will be announced at Senate. A copy of the outcomes will also be directly provided to the organizations who submitted the referenda in case they are unable to attend the Senate meeting.
Submitting a referendum question
Any undergraduate student or student group can submit a potential referenda question at the beginning of the Spring Semester. The referenda collect a sense of the student body (get the opinion of the student body) through a yes or no question.
The referenda as a whole should either gauge the interest of the student body on a particular issue, collect student support for a call on Northeastern administration to act on a particular issue, or collect student support for a call on the Northeastern University Student Government Association to act on a particular issue.
Along with the question itself, each submission should include a background to provide context to the issue being discussed, as well as suggested actions to be taken if calling upon a body to act on a particular issue.