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Students object to PGH polls, missing financial records

by Geronimo Rodriguez
Senior Staff Writer

A total of five formal complaints, including one dual complaint, were filed against the Student Voice and UH 4 U parties in the first day of the Student Government Association general election, Chief Election Commissioner Jason Short said.

Short didn't elaborate on the punishment that could be levied on the parties, but he did say it "entails campaign restrictions."

All the complaints -- two of which were filed by Cougar Delegates presidential candidate Michael Graves -- address Student Voice and UH 4 U setting up laptop computers and soliciting students' votes Wednesday at the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall Breezeway without properly reserving the location from the University Center's reservation office.

A Daily Cougar staff member said Faisal Zahed, a former SGA student regent who is not enrolled as a student, urged her to click on the Student Voice straight ticket option when she voted at the Breezeway on Wednesday afternoon. Once she logged on to the election Web site, Zahed scrolled down to the straight-ticket section and told her, "Here's Student Voice," she said.

"When I scrolled up, he scrolled back down and said, 'Here's Student Voice' while putting the cursor on the Student Voice option," she said.

Although Zahed reportedly did the same with several other student voters, he said later in the day he didn't recall such actions.

"I don't remember. I don't remember anything like that," he said.

Asked why a non-student would be involved in the election process, Zahed said, "I'm just helping (Student Voice) out."

The Election Commission said it will only address formally filed complaints.

Wednesday's five complaints include two each from Graves and Krystal Wormly, the chairwoman of the SGA's Internal Affairs Committee, against UH 4 U and Student Voice for setting up the unofficial polling location at PGH.

"I think it's unfair for the candidates campaigning by the rules if the Election Commission lets (Student Voice and UH 4 U) get away with this," Graves said. "Some kind of punishment is needed for these violations."

Roberto Luna, a biology and English junior, also filed a complaint against Student Voice because he believed some of its members were soliciting votes within 50 feet of a designated polling location at PGH.

However, because the area was not an official polling location, the 50-foot rule does not apply there.

Student Voice presidential candidate Heron Re'chard Thomas said the elections would be "literally invisible" if he didn't set up at the Breezeway.

However, two officials confirmed that neither political party reserved the space they occupied.

Melinda Koonce, coordinator of the UC reservations office, said three organizations reserved tables at the Breezeway for Wednesday, but UH 4 U and Student Voice weren't among them.

Koonce said the Student Handbook allows students to distribute materials without prior authorization from reservation officials, but they are not allowed to use tables at the Breezeway without a reservation.

"If a registered student organization did this, then there are penalties," Associate Dean of Students Kamran Riaz said. He also said students should have a University confirmation form to prove they properly reserved a particular location.

Graves' dual complaint also addressed some Student Voice members who were distributing handbills in the UC, which is one of the five designated polling areas. The Election Code prohibits candidates from campaigning from within 50 feet of a polling location. Graves, a College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences SGA senator, helped write the code as part of the Internal Affairs Committee.

Graves said he will file another complaint today in regard to candidates who have not filed their financial disclosure statements. Candidates had until 8 a.m. Tuesday to submit their disclosures to the commission, but Graves said no one from Student Voice and only a couple from UH 4 U had filed.

Article 3, Section 1 of the Election Code states that "'Candidate' shall be defined as a currently enrolled student who has completed and turned in the necessary documents."

"That financial disclosure statement falls under 'necessary documents,'" Graves said.

Short said the commission will enforce the Election Code in this case, "but the way we enforce it is at our discretion."

The Election Commission did not release the number of voters Wednesday. The number, and election results, will be released at noon Friday in the UC Underground's World Affairs Lounge.
 

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