News
Chair contradicts bylaws
SGA election official gives conflicting advice to candidates
A Metro student interested in being a write-in alternative for Student Government Assembly president was told by Election Commission chair Richard Boettner that he would be allowed to use e-mail, word-of-mouth and handbills to promote himself before the election-a direct violation of the election laws written by Boettner himself.
The Election Commission bylaws state in Article II.D, Section C, Clause 3: "Write in candidacy is considered to be an alternative choice of a voter and is secret as the voting procedure itself is secret. Therefore, write-in candidates shall not campaign at all. If any write in candidate is found to be campaigning, they will b (sic) immediately disqualified from the election."
"Richard told me that I could use quarter-page handbills," said the student.
Boettner also informed the student that students, otherwise uninvolved in the election process, who wished to campaign on his behalf would be welcome to do so.
In a meeting with The Metropolitan, Boettner reiterated his position on the appropriate campaign practices of the write-in candidate.
However, when presidential candidate Aaron "Jack" Wylie approached Boettner to ask if he could have students help him with his campaign, Wylie said he was told that he could not have other students help him to hang flyers or chalk sidewalks.
There is nothing in the bylaws to back up Boettner's response to Wylie.
Interim SGA President Dennis Bergquist expressed concern over the situation.
"I will put an end to this tomorrow," Bergquist said Oct. 18.
When informed of the misinformation that had been passed to him, the write-in student said he would not violate the bylaws even though he had been given permission to do so.
He said he plans on talking to his friends and fellow students to get his name out and "hopes that the student body catches on."
Due to the nature of the story, the name of the write-in student has been omitted to ensure the validity of the election process.