The Associated Students of the University of Utah Supreme Court denied an injunction Monday night filed by The United Party to freeze final elections because of an alleged Redbook violation by the RE: Party.
United Party presidential candidate Cole Cannon filed the injunction after the Elections Committee issued a warning to the RE: Party after a supporter in the International Student Council sent a mass e mail to approximately 1,000 students encouraging them to vote for the RE: Party in primary elections.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Cannon appealed the committee’s original decision at a grievance hearing Monday night. The Elections Committee did not reach a ruling by the time of The Chronicle’s deadline.
Cannon said that e-mail accounted for the deciding 143 votes that put the RE: Party into final elections with Grassroots.
“We don’t want to be poor losers, but this was the swing in the election,” Cannon told the committee Monday night following the Supreme Court’s ruling.
However, Ali Hasnain, former news editor of The Daily Utah Chronicle and current vice presidential candidate for the RE: Party, said the party’s name was not mentioned in the e-mail and was sent by a supporter within the International Student Council and not by a member of the campaign.
Cannon alleged that the e mail violated Redbook, which states, “under no circumstances may any candidate or candidate supporter use the office, equipment, materials, supplies, services, private databases and/or any private contact information of ASUU for campaign purposes.” Cannon said that since the international council receives funds through ASUU, they fall into this category.
At the initial grievance hearing, the RE: Party received a warning by Elections Registrar Jackson Lever regarding the use of ASUU equipment for campaign purposes, but that wasn’t an adequate punishment for the offense, Cannon asserted.
“The RE: Party displayed poor character and judgement-2,500 e-mails is a big deal, and a warning simply isn’t adequate since this same offense was grounds for disqualification in years past,” he said.