The 2005-06 school year was a turbulent time for the campus Board of Elections.
The group, which is in charge of making sure campus elections run smoothly and fairly, faced criticism from student leaders concerning its impartiality. It also had equally staunch defenders who said many naysayers had an axe to grind.
Now, as newly appointed board Chairman Jim Brewer starts his work, he's hoping to quell the storm - and he's got a variety of tricks up his sleeve to make that happen.
Among the changes he has promised is a new online voting system meant to alleviate the problems many students had last year, leading to disputes about whether election results should have been certified.
Other promised reforms include:
- operating at least 10 polling sites in future general elections;
- creating a catalog of the board's decisions and a guide to running elections, both of which also will be available to the public;
- hosting a convention for campus elections officials from other North Carolina universities to share knowledge and expertise;
- improving publicity for campus elections, including the operation of a 962-VOTE hot line to answer voters' questions;
- creating a committee to review Title VI of the Student Code, the document that outlines policies for student government. Title VI deals with campus elections.
Brewer said his work would build on the work the board did last year.
"I don't consider anything this year to be a mistake," he said, adding that he would give last year's board an A-minus rating.
Some campus leaders aren't so sure about the high grade - complaints include the nullification of many elections at different times and accusations of mishandling a round of special elections.
