Election Board enforces sanctions on USAC candidates for campaign violations
By Kelly Zhou
May 5, 2011 12:46 a.m.
Three days into voting season, this year’s undergraduate government race has seen dozens of complaints flying from both the Students First! and Bruins United slates.
A grievance was filed against Kinnery Shah, the incumbent in this year’s cultural affairs commissioner race, regarding the use of her official USAC email to send material promoting the Students First! slate.
As of press time, Election Board had not made a decision regarding the complaint.
On the opposing slate, all 10 Bruins United candidates were sanctioned and placed on probation after volunteers were witnessed campaigning to residents on the Hill.
The Election Board banned the candidates from campaigning for two hours Wednesday afternoon. Any further incidents of “dorm storming” activities could lead to disqualification of the Bruins United candidates from the Undergraduate Students Association Council election.
“The violation that occurred on the Hill last night was systematic, institutional and widespread,” said Patrick Ahrens, Election Board chair and fourth-year political science student.
On-Campus housing dispatch received complaint calls from residents in Rieber Hall, Rieber Vista, Dykstra Hall and Sproul Hall, Ahrens said.
Students were also found handing out cookies and Bruins United flyers in Hedrick Summit, according to an internal email from a manager within Housing and Hospitality Services.
The email said the students were intending to canvass the entire building.
“There’s no soliciting, and that’s not exclusive to USAC campaigning ““ that’s just a policy. It would be horrible if our residents were subject to door-to-door salesmen, all that kind of stuff,” said Karen Hedges, assistant director for the Office of Residential Life. “The Hill is a safe zone.”
A blurry photo was included in the complaint submitted to Election Board, depicting a student in a Bruins United shirt at a resident’s door.
Yannina Casillas, campaign manager for many of the Students First! candidates, submitted the complaint.
“I want students to know that it’s really not right,” said Casillas, a fourth-year anthropology student. “It’s disappointing because they hit so many buildings, and that’s hundreds of votes.”
Bruins United co-chair and fourth-year global studies student Jason Youdeem acknowledged that the punishment in this case was fair but said the dorm storming was not institutional. He added that he believed Ahrens was disproportionately punishing his slate, in general.
Ahrens responded that he consults with the other members of Election Board on their decisions. Casillas also disagreed with Youdeem, saying she believed the Election Board had been communicating well and judged fairly.
“We have made every effort to make sure this process is fair and that every grievance gets a fair hearing,” Ahrens said.
