Class elections leave
By JASON McFARLEY
News Writer
While Monday's class council primary elections did not feature any campaign or procedural violations on the part of the candidates, a production error in the ballots used for the class of 2003 contest marked another conflict in a recent string of controversial student government elections.
According to Elections Committee member Amanda Dovidio, the name of one ticket was run twice on one-sixth of all 2003 ballots. In turn, one ticket was omitted from the flawed ballots. Due to the error, all results for this elections are null and void, Dovidio said.
Judicial Council president Kelly Folks said the freshmen will recast their votes today.
"The times will be the same, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Freshmen can vote in their dorms," Folks said.
But some worry that a revote today will not prompt a high voter turnout.
"I fear that given the state of student government elections recently, some people may be discouraged from turning out. This is the third mistake in three elections," said Matt Smith, the presidential candidate on the omitted ticket.
Smith noted that this balloting misprint came in the face of two other student government controversies surrounding the student body presidential elections at Saint Mary's and Notre Dame.
Folks, however, said today's vote should garner just as much support as the original. She and other election committee members took steps Monday night to ensure a successful election today.
"We've left voice mails with all the hall rectors asking them to get the word out that there is a revote today. I'm sure we'll get a good turn out," Folks said.
Although they regret the conflict in the 2003 election, both Folks and Dovidio are pleased with the manner in which the other elections ran.
The 2002 contest yielded a winning ticket. Carrying nearly 66 percent of his class' vote, Jonathan Jorissen was elected president for the 2000-01 term. Jorissen's running mates were vice president Mary Dunleavy, secretary Marcella Nurse and treasurer Taylor McWilliams.
"Our primary goal is to create a mini-abroad program. It's for those juniors who don't want to go away for an entire semester. Instead, they can go abroad for the duration of fall break," Jorissen said. He also aims to increase class unity through spiritual activities such as class masses.
No 2002 ticket carried the simple majority of the class' vote Monday. A run-off election between the two tickets that received the most votes is scheduled for Thursday. Competing in the run-off will be the Rachel Gernerd ticket, which won 45.6 percent of the primary vote, and the Elliot Nelson ticket, which captured 27.9 percent of the vote.
The off-campus co-presidents race produced a winning ticket of Amy Matthews and Nicole Benjamin, who received 53 percent of yesterday's vote.
All News Stories for Tuesday, February 29, 2000
