Tuesday night, the Georgetown University Student Association considered a resolution which would streamline its electoral bylaws in order to prevent a repeat of last year’s election controversy involving campaign fines and disqualifications.
The resolution is expected to pass next week.
The resolution is aiming to establish appeal deadlines for candidates and to clarify both campaign transgressions and the punitive measures that will be taken against them.
Representatives who tabled the resolution said they needed more time to discuss the required use of the Georgetown server for campaign web sites and the wording of certain sections of the resolution.
“We expect the bylaws to be passed this Tuesday, and we expect them to be comprehensive, simple, and effective,” sophomore Representative Pravin Rajan (SFS ‘07) said.
The proposed resolution structures the appeals and decision-making period. For violations occurring on election day, the resolution requires that corresponding complaints be filed no later than two hours following the closing of the polls. Following the end of the elections, candidates would have 24 hours to appeal, while GUSA has 96 hours to decide to hear an appeal. Decisions concerning appeals would then be made no later than seven days after the election has ended.
Pre-campaigning, as currently proposed by the resolution, will no longer be prohibited. Any breach of the rules by members of candidates’ staffs will be same as if the candidates themselves had disobeyed the rules.
The resolution also prohibits the formation of thefacebook.com groups or the utilization of instant messenger service away messages in the campaigning process.
Assembly member and Chair of the Election Reform Bylaws Committee Drew Rau (CAS ‘06) said that candidates are not prohibited from campaigning in the presence of alcohol, contrary to an editorial recently published in The Hoya. However, parties organized for the purpose of campaigning, Rau said, cannot serve alcohol to guests.
The resolution also proposed lengthening the campaign period for first-year and presidential campaigns. Presidential candidates would have two weeks to campaign instead of six days.
Kelly Hampton (SFS ‘05) and Luis Torres (CAS ‘05) were initially disqualified from last year’s GUSA presidential and vice-presidential elections for exceeding their $75 budget by $4 due to fines incurred for improper use of e-mail and placement of campaign flyers in The Hoya. Runners-up Adam Giblin (CAS ‘06) and Lashner were then declared the winners.
Several weeks after the election, Torres and Hampton appealed their disqualification. The initial decision was overturned and Hampton and Torres were sworn in as executives on April 27th.
GUSA Vice Chair Nathaniel Steven Wright (CAS ‘06) said that the resolution offered a needed fix for a troubled system.
“The time period which the constitutional council took to respond to last year’s appeals was horrendous,” he said.
Even if the proposed changes had been implemented last year, Giblin said, the ultimate outcome of the election would not have changed.
