Election policy debated
SGA constitutional amendment would affect this year’s race
By Anna Young, contributing writer
Posted on March 1, 2007

Tuesday night’s SGA meeting was business as usual, with the discussion of two contingency bills and a presentation of upcoming UPB-sponsored events. But there was a more pressing piece of business to discuss.

Sen. Matt Winer (Jr.), co-chair of the elections commission, posed several amendments to the SGA Constitution regarding polling procedures, including an amendment to extend the SGA polling period for major elections from one to two days. This amendment would not affect class council or senate elections, but the SGA executive offices.

Because of unprecedented events that occurred during the meeting, senior Stephanie Genco, Student Senate speaker, said that as of now, the SGA’s major election policy is suspended.
 
This means the Elections Commission could not distribute the election packets to aspiring candidates by Feb. 28, as they had previously planned. The suspended policy, if left unresolved, could possibly change the time frame for 2007 SGA major elections, which were originally scheduled to occur on April 5.

“We are one of the only universities of our size in our region that doesn’t hold elections for at least two days,” Winder said regarding his initial proposal of the amendment. Winer justified the amendment by citing the voting success of about 20 other universities who have had considerable voter turn out on the second day of elections.

Winer stressed that this particular amendment would have a greater and more direct effect on the SGA’s attempts to mobilize more students to participate in SGA major elections.

“Not only is this about staying up to par with other institutions, but this is about giving students a better chance to vote,” Winer said.

When the floor opened to debate the amendment, Sen. Geary Cox, a graduate student, motioned to extend elections over not two, but four days.

“If we’re going to say we’re going to reach everyone on campus, then let’s reach everyone on campus,” Cox said.

Most senators reacted to Cox’s proposal with one word: “ridiculous.”
Some senators were suspicious that allowing almost a full week of elections would encourage candidates to skip class to campaign.

 “Four days of elections doesn’t allow time for candidates to go to class and get the education they’re paying for,” sophomore class treasurer Tara Rife said.

Sen. Tommy Bluestein (Soph.) suggested the absence of quorum, which is the number of senators needed to conduct business. In this case, two-thirds, or 53 of the 76 senators, needed to be present at the meeting for the quorum to be upheld. The quorum was not met by 12 senators, and the session was dissolved by Genco.

“I really don’t think 41 people should decide something this big,” Bluestein said.

Genco called for an emergency SGA session on Thursday at 5 p.m.