2008 Woodie Awards
MCSG elections explained
A member of the EPC clears up rumors and misinformation surrounding last week's MCSG elections.
By: Will Chick
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: Opinion
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In the days since the MCSG executive election a number of questions have arisen regarding what actually happened on election day. Unfortunately, the Election Procedures Committee (EPC), of which I am a part, has been closed-lipped up until now. This was done not out of a desire to hide what we were doing, but a desire to protect the candidates' privacy. However, in order to dispel the misinformation circling campus and to indulge my own desire for transparency I'd like to take you through the day's events.
All candidates are required to remove all campaign materials by midnight before the polls open on election day. However, as is usually the case with Macalester elections, this wasn't entirely the case. A student came forward that morning with photographs of a number of Brittany Lewis' posters remaining in place on election day. The EPC went out to investigate these claims and was able to verify these claims as well as to discover the posters of 4 other candidates.
In previous elections, the standard procedure for an advertising violation has been to fine the candidate $5 for each advertisement which remained up. This was the procedure which was followed for four candidates. However, in Brittany's case this was not her first violation. Brittany had already been fined for her illegal use of a campus list-serv to advertise her campaign. Because this was her second violation, and because she had not a few, but ten documented violations, the EPC felt that a fine was not an adequate penalty. We also felt that these two infractions were not grounds for disqualification. After nearly three hours of deliberation, including consultations with staff members, we chose to penalize Brittany five percent of her votes received.
When votes were tabulated that evening, all races except the presidential election were tabulated according to standard policy with representatives from all campaigns present. When the presidential votes were counted, all representatives were asked to move to the outer room, an observer from the Student Judicial Council was brought in, and the doors to the Boardroom were closed. Ironically, this was done to prevent the circling of misinformation in case of a contested election or appeal. The votes were tabulated by the current Executive Board with the exception of President Jess Hasken who was speaking with the representatives outside.
All candidates are required to remove all campaign materials by midnight before the polls open on election day. However, as is usually the case with Macalester elections, this wasn't entirely the case. A student came forward that morning with photographs of a number of Brittany Lewis' posters remaining in place on election day. The EPC went out to investigate these claims and was able to verify these claims as well as to discover the posters of 4 other candidates.
In previous elections, the standard procedure for an advertising violation has been to fine the candidate $5 for each advertisement which remained up. This was the procedure which was followed for four candidates. However, in Brittany's case this was not her first violation. Brittany had already been fined for her illegal use of a campus list-serv to advertise her campaign. Because this was her second violation, and because she had not a few, but ten documented violations, the EPC felt that a fine was not an adequate penalty. We also felt that these two infractions were not grounds for disqualification. After nearly three hours of deliberation, including consultations with staff members, we chose to penalize Brittany five percent of her votes received.
When votes were tabulated that evening, all races except the presidential election were tabulated according to standard policy with representatives from all campaigns present. When the presidential votes were counted, all representatives were asked to move to the outer room, an observer from the Student Judicial Council was brought in, and the doors to the Boardroom were closed. Ironically, this was done to prevent the circling of misinformation in case of a contested election or appeal. The votes were tabulated by the current Executive Board with the exception of President Jess Hasken who was speaking with the representatives outside.
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