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[ Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006 ]

Bundy wins... sort of
Despite winning, Bundy presidency unclear

Collegian Staff Writers

It's not over yet.

Jay Bundy received the highest vote total in the election for University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) president, but the elections commission refused to declare him president last night.

Katie Vogel, UPUA elections commissioner, said Bundy will not be certified as president until the elections commission reviews elections code violations he allegedly committed yesterday.

Vogel said the commission is investigating unstamped flyers advertising a video of the debate posted on Bundy's Web site. In addition, unstamped posters hanging outside of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and Bundy's house are currently under investigation, Ashley Hill, head elections commissioner, said. Bundy has already been fined $120 for two past violations. Vogel said the review should be complete within a week. According to the elections code, candidates can have their campaign spending limits reduced as punishment for violations. Exceeding the spending limit results in automatic disqualification, Hill said.

Since the campaign season is over, Vogel said disqualification is "pretty much" the only punishment the commission could give.

PHOTO: Mollie Pritchett
PHOTO: Mollie Pritchett
Despite winning, Bundy presidency unclear.

Bundy said he would "organize anarchy" if certified as president.

"A little organized chaos never hurt anyone," he said. When asked to elaborate, he answered, "I'm going to show up at Old Main, and heads are going to roll."

A total of 2,602 students voted in the election. Jay Bundy's ticket received 1,147 votes. Jay Chamberlin was second with 758 votes. Michael Hines came in third with 697 votes. Even though Bundy received the highest number of votes, he said he would still like to see the election results reviewed by an administrator.

The scene at last night's election party was a somber one, with less than 60 people in attendance. After Hill announced the results, an audible pause was followed by polite clapping.

"There was a little more energy with my campaign," Galen Foulke, the former USG president who helped create UPUA. "The winner didn't have anyone with him."

Bundy had no supporters present other than his own family. Even Bundy's signature dog, Diana, was absent.

"My supporters are hopefully out being 'NORML,' " he said, referring to the Penn State chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which he founded. "And that includes not coming out to elections that nobody cares about anyway."

Following the results, Bundy's opponents congratulated him.

"Obviously there were some problems during the campaigning, but I believe he's a -- I have to think about how I'm going to say this -- interesting individual, and he'll definitely bring a different perspective to student government," Mike Hines said of Bundy.

Chamberlin said he was surprised Bundy won despite his "antics and lack of substance in his campaign."

Many representative positions failed to reach the 250-vote threshold needed to earn a position. Four at-large and two off-campus representatives were elected, leaving the on-campus positions and all the academic unit positions empty.

Travis Larchuk and Caitlin Conflenti contributed to this article.


PHOTO: Andrew Lala
PHOTO: Andrew Lala
An emotional Jay Bundy speaks to his grandfather, Moses Priester (left) and his grandmother, Edythe Priester (right) before the UPUA presidential election results are announced.

 

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Updated: Thursday, October 12, 2006  9:28:43 AM  -4
Requested: Sunday, October 12, 2008  11:19:00 AM  -4
Created: Wednesday, May 07, 2008  6:58:00 PM  -4