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VP runoff continues with three complaints

Senator-elect claims candidate pushed him outside library

by Geronimo Rodriguez
Senior Staff Writer

The first day of the Student Government Association vice presidential runoff election pushed off Wednesday with an alleged shove by UH 4 U vice presidential candidate Matt Bell, Student Voice party member and Engineering Senator-elect Rojelio Mendoza said in a complaint submitted to the SGA Election Commission.

Mendoza also filed a contact report with the UH Police Department, UHPD dispatcher Brandi Hamilton said. Mendoza may have filed a police report, which would indicate he intends to press charges, but Hamilton said the department could not release that information as of press time.

After speaking with Bell about the pushing incident, SGA Chief Election Commissioner Jason Short said Mendoza's complaint may not be substantial enough to merit a punishment from the commission.

In the complaint, Mendoza said he was campaigning in front of the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library when Bell "forcefully pushed (Mendoza) with his arm." Mendoza asked that Bell be disqualified from the runoff.

Two other complaints were filed Wednesday. In one, engineering senior Amanda Strassner said Student Voice vice presidential candidate Alysia Minor "spammed" her e-mail inbox with three e-mails endorsing Student Voice.

Minor filed a complaint against UH 4 U for keeping its Web site up during Spring Break. The Election Code states that candidates must remove all campaign material within five class days after the SGA general election, which ended March 11, but classes were not in session during Spring Break. Minor asked that the Web site be taken down for the remainder of the election.

The commission may decide on the complaints today, but Short said all three will likely be dropped.

The commission dismissed a complaint from SGA President-elect Jon Quintanilla regarding a Student Voice flyer that contained what he called "inaccurate" information against himself and UH 4 U. Short said nothing in the Election Code or the Student Handbook restricts students from expressing their opinions. "Based on the Election Code and (the University's) freedom of expression policy, (the commission) cannot prohibit something based on content," Assistant Election Commissioner Jackie Thomas said.

Quintanilla's complaint regarding a Student Voice endorsement from the African American Studies Program, which Quintanilla said involved the program using UH resources to print Student Voice campaign materials, was also dropped.

Online voting in the runoff will continue through 7 p.m. today, with polls at the University Center, UC Satellite, Moody Towers, Campus Recreation and Wellness Center and Social Work Building open from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.
 

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