Ciabarra, Szabaga may be off USG ballot

With just three days left before elections, the Undergraduate Student Government Elections Court disqualified Mario Ciabarra and Allison Szabaga from running for USG president and vice president Sunday night because of a series of poster violations.

The disqualification prohibits Ciabarra and Szabaga from holding or running for elected office within USG.

Ciabarra, however, said he has decided to appeal the verdict to the USG Supreme Court. According to the elections code, the court can review an appeal at its discretion. During the appeal, Ciabarra can continue to participate in campaign activities, said Tracy Greca, head elections commissioner.

"I think it's the most extreme example of USG gone too far," Ciabarra said.

According to the elections code, no campaign may tamper with another campaign's posters or distribute campaign materials that have not been stamped by the Elections Commission.

The elections court decided to fine Ciabarra $450 for the stamping violations and to disqualify the ticket for the second count of covering posters.

Krout said yesterday his campaign did not violate the rules and he is talking to other campaigns because he is not sure why there have been so many fines.

"People who play by the rules are the ones who are getting fined," Krout said.

In previous elections court decisions, both Krout/Skomorucha and Andrea Prinzi/J. P. Jaworski have been fined $55 each for two counts of covering other campaigns' posters.