CAMPAIGN CHARGES Elections Committee holds grievance hearing addressing ASUU election policies that were not followed
The ASUU Elections Committee entertained election grievances, including campaigning in the Marriott Library, handing out candy and violating poster-hanging rules.
This meeting was the second held this campaign season. The committee meets weekly and hears complaints filed by parties, candidates or ASUU. Of the five possible meetings, three were canceled because no grievances were filed.
The committee heard grievances Thursday and will release its decisions on each case as early as Firday.
ASUU charged the HOUSE Party with campaigning and handing out T-shirts in the Marriott Library on Feb. 21, two days before active campaigning was allowed. In addition, campaigning in the library is never permitted. The proposed punishment is to lose a half-day of campaigning.
HOUSE Party presidential candidate, Nick Ferre, a master’s student in education leadership and policy, said the party was not campaigning, but rather handing out T-shirts to students who had already requested them. He said the party had asked Maria Mooers-Putzer, the elections registrar and a law student, for permission.
Mooers-Putzer said she was not aware the party was handing out T-shirts in the library, and she would have told them not to do it.
Peak Party campaign manager Janean Ford, a senior in economics and international studies, said it was well known the HOUSE Party was campaigning.
ASUU also filed a grievance charge for handing out candy in the Social Work Building. Handing out food is prohibited by elections rules. The proposed punishment is no distribution of campaign material for 24 hours.
Ford said she saw a student, who she believed to be Carlos Rivera, handing out candy. She said he was aware he was breaking the rules because of the way he acknowledged her. Rivera is not running for office with the HOUSE Party, but is helping with the campaign.
HOUSE Party vice presidential candidate Sam Ortiz, a senior in social work, said the party has not been able to identify if the person was Rivera or if the incident actually happened.
Ferre believes the incident was fabricated.
The HOUSE Party brought a grievance claiming the Peak Party hung posters on painted surfaces and bulletin boards — both prohibited in elections rules — in the HPER, the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building, Eyring Building and the Business Classroom. The proposed punishment is taking down posters in those buildings.
Ferre said the HOUSE Party spent hours making sure all their posters were in compliance with election rules. He said it is the party’s responsibility, not ASUU’s, to make sure posters are in compliance.
Ford said they were not aware of the posters that were being challenged until the meeting. She indicated the posters in the Eccles Business Building that have been removed were not taken down by party members but removed by someone else.
VaphatiedaPep • Mar 5, 2013 at 9:12 am
One can find surely loads of details like that to take into consideration. That’s an excellent point to bring up. I offer you the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly one can find questions like the 1 you bring up where one of the most imperative thing will likely be working in honest beneficial faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged about issues like that, but I’m certain that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Both boys and girls really feel the impact of just a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
VaphatiedaPep • Mar 5, 2013 at 9:12 am
One can find surely loads of details like that to take into consideration. That’s an excellent point to bring up. I offer you the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly one can find questions like the 1 you bring up where one of the most imperative thing will likely be working in honest beneficial faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged about issues like that, but I’m certain that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Both boys and girls really feel the impact of just a moment’s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
Mitch • Mar 1, 2013 at 10:27 am
Rules are rules and if someone can’t follow the rules and obey what the law says they should be punished.
Granted these students did something considered minor- if i drive going 80 mph on the freeway i should be given a speeding ticket for speeding on a highway- rules are rules and it keeps our society safe & they are their for a reason.
They should have found out if it was OK To put up posters and go into the library before doing that. Had they got permission from the U it would have been ok
Mitch • Mar 1, 2013 at 10:27 am
Rules are rules and if someone can’t follow the rules and obey what the law says they should be punished.
Granted these students did something considered minor- if i drive going 80 mph on the freeway i should be given a speeding ticket for speeding on a highway- rules are rules and it keeps our society safe & they are their for a reason.
They should have found out if it was OK To put up posters and go into the library before doing that. Had they got permission from the U it would have been ok
Jeff Throckmorton • Mar 1, 2013 at 9:00 am
I’m no longer a student (they finally let me out), but do have to note that I am simply SHOCKED that there could ever be an allegation against any political party ever (and certainly not at the level of state and national politics looking to the future) commiting any level of impropriety within this flawless election system that we have. And, hey, if you don’t learn now, how can you play in the bigger fishpond later on?
Jeff Throckmorton • Mar 1, 2013 at 9:00 am
I’m no longer a student (they finally let me out), but do have to note that I am simply SHOCKED that there could ever be an allegation against any political party ever (and certainly not at the level of state and national politics looking to the future) commiting any level of impropriety within this flawless election system that we have. And, hey, if you don’t learn now, how can you play in the bigger fishpond later on?