USG addresses Elections Code

Questions about the Undergraduate Student Government Elections Code were answered Tuesday night by yet another debate in the USG Senate.

Controlling the spending limits of donations, monitoring campaigning before the official campaigning period and regulating students voting out of their residence areas were problems the USG Elections Commission had with the code.

USG Head Elections Commissioner Angelo Annese addressed the senate during open student forum regarding these concerns that he and the three other commissioners have had about the code.

The code was approved two weeks earlier after two-and-a-half hours of debate on many of those issues. At that time, the spending limit was raised to $800 for presidential and vice presidential tickets. The fair market value policy, where the commission would set prices for campaign material, was eliminated.

"I commend you for getting rid of this fair market value (policy)," Annese said. "But we determined one thing -- we're powerless in this spending limit."

The problem was less with the limit than with the amount of paper that could be donated at very low prices, creating a glut of paper on campus.

"We don't want to look like schmucks ruining the campus and destroying half the rain forests," said Administrative Contact Committee Chair Caroline Casagrande.

A motion made by fraternity Senator Matt Ritsko to allow only 8,000 sheets of 8-1/2-by-10 paper or 680,000 square inches of paper per candidate was accepted.

The senate decided they could not completely control unofficial campaigning early. They also decided not to rediscuss the new rule that allows students to vote where they think they are going to live next year.

Annese also received permission to hold a third debate aside from the two specified in the code which would consist of a panel of representatives from student groups.

Legislation and Appropriations Committee Chair Lisa Hartlaub said the elections for the University Park Allocation Committee, currently known as the Student Organization Budget Committee, will not be included in the elections code. The names of UPAC candidates will appear on the ballot with the USG and Association of Resident Hall Students candidates, but UPAC will write their own code and have their own commissioner. Senate has yet to decide whether the USG Supreme Court, the USG Elections Court or neither will hear complaints against the UPAC elections commissioner.