Judicial board rules in favor of election board on referendum petition
Lindsay Allen, USAC Election Board chair, said the board did not violate the election code in a case she presented to the judicial board Wednesday night. (Michael Zshornack/Daily Bruin)
By Jeong Park
May 5, 2016 12:35 p.m.
The undergraduate student government judicial board ruled Thursday morning in favor of the election board on four of five claims representatives of the Social Justice Referendum registered against it.
Two Undergraduate Students Association Council officials and Social Justice Referendum campaign representative Jazz Kiang filed a USAC Judicial Board petition Tuesday after the USAC Election Board sanctioned the referendum Sunday and Monday nights for exceeding the $750 spending cap by about $6,600 and failing to disclose the source of about $3,400 in funding. The funding sources were later disclosed Tuesday evening.
In a unanimous decision, the judicial board ruled the election board was fair in administering the sanctions and equating the referendum to a non-executive candidate, who has spending limits of $750 under the USAC Election Code. The judicial board also ruled the election board is allowed to ask referendum supporters to bring all campaign materials in excess of the $750 amount to the election board office, as it had requested Sunday night.
The judicial board ruled in favor of the Social Justice Referendum and the two officials on a claim that the Election Board sent them messages indicating referendum can spend an additional $400 on their campaign, for a total of $1,150. The Judicial Board said it admonishes the Election Board and instructs it to consider the $1,150 limit into consideration if it imposes any further sanctions on the referendum.
The Judicial Board convened Wednesday night to hear arguments from petitioners and Election Board representatives.
Kiang and the Election Board Chair Lindsay Allen were not immediately available for comment. Petitioner and USAC President Heather Rosen was also not immediately available for comment.
Academic Affairs Commissioner Trent Kajikawa said he would not comment until the judicial board released its opinion detailing why they made those rulings, because the explanation would help him understand the decisions. The judicial board opinion will be released within two weeks, according to the judicial board report.
The Social Justice Referendum aims to fund a variety of student-run retention and outreach programs on campus, and would increase student fees by $24.99 per quarter. The referendum is one of four ballot proposals in this year’s spring USAC election.
Students can vote in the undergraduate student government election on MyUCLA until 3 p.m. Friday. The Election Board will announce results at 9 p.m. Friday in Meyerhoff Park.
