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2,984 votes counted in student elections

By Geronimo Rodriguez
Senior Staff Writer

The Student Government Association general election ended Thursday with a total of 2,984 votes cast during the two days of polling, the SGA Election Commission said. The election results will be announced at noon today in the University Center Underground's World Affairs Lounge.

"I'd attribute (the turnout) to our efforts to get the election online and the fact that the candidates campaigned as much as they did," Chief Election Commissioner Jason Short said. "I also think students are beginning to realize that UH is a good school, and they're now wanting to get involved."

The Election Code states the president and vice president must receive a majority of the votes cast for their respective positions. A runoff between the two candidates with the most votes will occur if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes.

The commission received five complaints Thursday, bringing the total number of complaints filed so far to 11. Two of the five complaints filed Thursday allege that some Student Voice members checked out laptop computers from the Bauer College of Business computer lab and used them to solicit votes.

Student Voice presidential candidate Heron Re'chard Thomas and Student Voice business senator candidate Dhemil Brown each filled out a laptop loaning agreement from the lab and returned them with the home pages changed to the SGA election site. Muffaddal Sanwari, a teaching assistant at the lab, said the default home page for all the lab's laptops should be that of the college.

Jose Macedo, who is also a teaching assistant, said Thomas and Brown checked out the laptops together.

"I remember them coming in together, and the sheets they filled out to get a laptop were together. I keep them in the order they come," Macedo said.

Dusti Dawn Rhodes, a Daily Cougar staff writer, said she filed a complaint against Student Voice a day after former SGA student regent Faisal Zahed, who is not a student, attempted to pressure her to vote Student Voice on the straight-party ticket option at the Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall Breezeway.

Cougar Delegates presidential candidate Michael Graves filed a complaint against all candidates who didn't submit their financial disclosure statements by 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The commission ruled in favor of four complaints filed Wednesday against Student Voice and UH 4 U. The parties were prohibited from campaigning at the PGH Breezeway on Thursday because they set up an impromptu polling location there without approval from the University Center's reservations office.

The commissioners said they will rule today on complaints filed Thursday.
 

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