Election protest
Dave Daly has officially taken over as administrative vice president for the Student Government Association, but one of his opponents in the election believes it was an unconstitutional victory.
"Rules are rules and when they are broken there needs to be action and repercussions," Chris Peltier, a write-in candidate for the position said in an e-mail.
Peltier believes that the way the election was held violated the SGA constitution, and therefore is invalid. He claims that because there was no public forum held for candidates to answer student body questions, as well as the fact that a video featuring Daly and Katee Ingram, another candidate played near the voting area, the election was unconstitutional.
President of SGA John Kleinhans and vice president Rachel Keller deny that any wrongdoing occurred.
"I don't think our elections were unconstitutional as people have said," Kleinhans said. "I think we took a different approach and that's how we interpreted the constitution and that was deemed valid."
As for the video that ran in the Alexander Twilight Theater lobby, Keller said the college decides what videos to play there.
"We don't have control over what goes on the kiosk and when it runs," she said, adding "The video was for people who filled out petitions, and that's what an open forum would have been for as well."
Article V, Section 1, Clause C in the SGA constitution specifies that in an election, an public forum is mandatory, and that all candidates must attend to answer questions.
Clause D of the same article states "there will be no visible or audible campaigning within fifty (50) feet of the voting area".
Peltier said that the SGA disregarded both of these issues in the constitution.
"However, when I asked for voting numbers on Friday the constitution was thrown up as a defense," he said. "So I feel like if it can be followed so strictly to work for their advantage, then it must be followed equally as strictly when it is breached."
According to the constitution, it is up to the Board of Elections to appoint new executive board members after an impeachment occurs.
"We could have handled it in the SGA and appointed someone, but we thought that holding a campus vote would just have a ton of turnout," Kleinhans said. "And the ability to broadcast out each candidate's message, it took off. I mean, 20 percent is huge. I am very proud of the SGA to get 20 percent," Kleinhans said.
While Peltier is not formally requesting another election be held, he is reaching out to work through communication issues between the SGA and the student body as a whole.
"At the very least I think the SGA owes an explanation/apology to the student body for the way the election and results were handled. Speaking as voters and students we were merely requesting vote results, and in my mind were treated as inferiors who were on a "need to know" basis," he said. "I agree there are certain things that go on that may not be appropriate for public release, but my question is how is releasing election results to the voters detrimental?"
Peltier is hoping to work with the SGA to bring about some positive changes, speaking to Kleinhans, and meeting with Keller and SGA adviser Shannon Healy.
"I think the fact that the Shadrock controversy has been the biggest news to come out of SGA this year is unfortunate," he said. "Let's work together to identify the problems, and constructive work towards solving them so that the LSC experience may be better enjoyed by all students, current and future."
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Critic News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE CRITIC NEWS
RECENT THE CRITIC CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Better Health, Naturally
- Stay Connected Via Free Mobile Services
- Clean Your Air: Six Ways To Manage Allergens
- Tips For Improving Mental Health
- New Writers and Illustrators Win Decades-Old Science...
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- BookTrib’s Bites: Jump into Spring with These Four Reads
- The Untold Story of GoDaddy Founder’s Traumatic Life a...
- La Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil destaca las oportunidades
- BookTrib's Bites: Four Captivating Spring Reads
- Moms Kick Back with Mamaritas
- Generac Urges Americans to Prepare for Power Outages Early
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- NOW Available: Comcast Launches NOW Brand Prepaid Internet and Mobile Services Nationwide
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding