Spring Break
Election tactics under scrutiny
Board to review A.S. allegations
Kate Taylor and Colleen Watson
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: News
Alleged polling and signage violations are the main subjects of grievances filed with the Associated Students Election Board.
An emergency meeting will be held today at 3 p.m. in the Clark Hall Office of Student Involvement in Conference Room 140G, where evidence of the violations will be presented and the committee will decide on the infractions, said Rohan Dhamnaskar, an elections consultant for the board.
"Yes, there were grievances that were filed," said Richard Kelley, director of Student Involvement, regarding a new election. "The election board has a multitude of sanctions or options if those grievances are substantiated up to and including they can invalidate the elections, and we'd have to start all over."
Dhamnaskar and Kelley did not disclose who filed the grievances.
One infraction was filed regarding the campaigning of Jessica Phan, who ran and won the position of Director of Communications. She was given a verbal reprimand regarding signage that was left up too long after the election was over, Dhamnaskar said.
The board is also investigating another grievance that an unofficial polling location was set up in Joe West Hall, Dhamnaskar said.
"There was some students in Joe West Hall. They set up a couple computers to vote with good intentions," Dhamnaskar said. "They had information from all the candidates there and everything, but we're still looking into whether that would be a valid polling location, what it means by 'polling location' and if it would be subject to any of the rules and regulations of polling locations. The main question that comes about there is, 'what impact did that location have on the whole election?'"
There are only two official polling places: the Event Center and the Student Union, Kelley said.
Dhamnaskar said resident advisers set up computers where students could vote.
An investigation of the unofficial location's legality is being conducted, said Kelley, who also advises the Election Board.
There were two minor infractions in the presidential race - a race where candidates were separated by 25 votes - that were documented by the election committee, but no official grievances were filed, Dhamnaskar said.
The Election Regulation Manual states that a minor offense includes violations of University policy regarding the time, place and manner of campaign signage or materials, and results in either an oral or written reprimand.
The first alleged violation, Dhamnaskar said, concerns students wearing T-shirts supporting one of the candidates within 75 feet of a polling location; the election manual states that no campaign material can be in that area,
The other infraction concerns signage of one presidential candidate in illegal areas, he said.
Kelley said three minor infractions result in a major infraction.
Both the grievances and the penalties for the infractions will be discussed during the meeting, said Alex Antazo, chief elections officer.
The A.S. election report will be available today, Antazo said, but the board doesn't know how it is going to deal with the grievances yet.
Click here for the Spartan Daily's complete election guide.
An emergency meeting will be held today at 3 p.m. in the Clark Hall Office of Student Involvement in Conference Room 140G, where evidence of the violations will be presented and the committee will decide on the infractions, said Rohan Dhamnaskar, an elections consultant for the board.
"Yes, there were grievances that were filed," said Richard Kelley, director of Student Involvement, regarding a new election. "The election board has a multitude of sanctions or options if those grievances are substantiated up to and including they can invalidate the elections, and we'd have to start all over."
Dhamnaskar and Kelley did not disclose who filed the grievances.
One infraction was filed regarding the campaigning of Jessica Phan, who ran and won the position of Director of Communications. She was given a verbal reprimand regarding signage that was left up too long after the election was over, Dhamnaskar said.
The board is also investigating another grievance that an unofficial polling location was set up in Joe West Hall, Dhamnaskar said.
"There was some students in Joe West Hall. They set up a couple computers to vote with good intentions," Dhamnaskar said. "They had information from all the candidates there and everything, but we're still looking into whether that would be a valid polling location, what it means by 'polling location' and if it would be subject to any of the rules and regulations of polling locations. The main question that comes about there is, 'what impact did that location have on the whole election?'"
There are only two official polling places: the Event Center and the Student Union, Kelley said.
Dhamnaskar said resident advisers set up computers where students could vote.
An investigation of the unofficial location's legality is being conducted, said Kelley, who also advises the Election Board.
There were two minor infractions in the presidential race - a race where candidates were separated by 25 votes - that were documented by the election committee, but no official grievances were filed, Dhamnaskar said.
The Election Regulation Manual states that a minor offense includes violations of University policy regarding the time, place and manner of campaign signage or materials, and results in either an oral or written reprimand.
The first alleged violation, Dhamnaskar said, concerns students wearing T-shirts supporting one of the candidates within 75 feet of a polling location; the election manual states that no campaign material can be in that area,
The other infraction concerns signage of one presidential candidate in illegal areas, he said.
Kelley said three minor infractions result in a major infraction.
Both the grievances and the penalties for the infractions will be discussed during the meeting, said Alex Antazo, chief elections officer.
The A.S. election report will be available today, Antazo said, but the board doesn't know how it is going to deal with the grievances yet.
Click here for the Spartan Daily's complete election guide.
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