Election moves challenged by several

Oct. 24 - After almost a week of limbo, plans for how to deal with widespread voting irregularities during Tuesday's special congressional election were laid out by the Student Supreme Court on Sunday.

The Court ruled unanimously that another election will be held Nov. 1 to fill vacant seats in Student Congress.

The Court also ordered the UNC Board of Elections to release the District 2 election results, which were certified pending the receipt of candidates' financial statements.

Junior Nicete Moodie was elected for the seat with 65 votes out of a total of 187.

The ruling upheld most of the decisions made last week by the board - decisions that were called into question by three separate formal complaints from the Black Student Movement, The Daily Tar Heel and two candidates.

The complaints alleged that the board breached the Student Code both when it decided to certify and seal the results for District 2, which is composed of mid-campus dorms, and when it decided to remove from the re-election ballot one of the seats in District 3, which represents South Campus dorms, Odum Village and student family housing at Baity Hill.

In a brief written statement released Sunday night, the elections board expressed approval of the Court's decisions.

When announcing the Court's decision, Chief Justice Drew Erteschik pointed out a number of inconsistencies within the Code, but he did not go so far as to recommend formally that Congress begin revising them.

But at one point he declared candidly that "Student Congress needs to amend that God-awful section," referring to the part of the Code dealing with elections.

A number of Congress representatives said after the hearings that several pieces of legislation will be drawn in the coming weeks to ensure the past week's proceedings do not happen again.

The ordeal was sparked by technical problems with Student Central that disenfranchised a number of voters, and it unfolded further during Fall Break.

After the race the board announced that it would nullify all races except District 2. The results of that race had been certified but sealed until after the Nov. 1 Homecoming election.

In its decision the board cited a clause in the Student Code stating that results shall not be released until the completion of the election.

Board members said they interpreted this to mean the completion of all races in a given election.

Election officials said the board intended to hold results while investigating accusations of voting irregularities.

"We're trying to err on the side of safety," BOE Chairman Nick Mosley said.

Ryan Tuck, DTH editor, said in his grievance that he interpreted the clause to mean that results shall be released as soon as each individual election is completed.

"We're definitely pleased given that the initial propellant of the complaint was that the election results were being held," he said. "That information is now out in the public sphere where it belongs."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.