After two UPUA elections that saw presidential candidates disqualified for campaign violations, this year's elections commissioners are hoping to avoid such problems.
"The only thing we really can do to avoid it is just to encourage everyone to have a clean election," Deputy Commissioner of Candidacy Alex Goodstein said.
University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) presidential candidates can begin registering today in 331 HUB and have 10 days to campaign beginning March 17. Elections will be held March 26.
During the UPUA's first elections, in 2006, an election commissioner mistakenly declared presidential candidate Jay Bundy as the election winner, then later disqualified him for spending violations.
Bundy said last week that election commissioners were often disconnected from the campaign process.
Gavin Keirans (sophomore-business administration), who was disqualified from the 2007 UPUA election, said last year's elections commission was formed hastily.
"I think last year that the elections commission wasn't ready to go on day one," Keirans, who was the 2007 runner-up, said. "They weren't really set up to do the job adequately. But I think there were a lot of guys on it who really cared about it."
Goodstein said this year's new elections code -- which is more specific about what constitutes a campaign violation -- will help decrease violations.
"I don't believe the elections commission could be held completely at fault," he said.
Former UPUA President Jay Chamberlin, Class of 2007, said last week that student interest often acts as a check for campaign violations.
"I think that hopefully, with the more competitive the elections are, the better a president we should end up with this year," he said. "I hope that people really scrutinize the candidates, because they haven't been the most honest in the past."
Head Elections Commissioner Jon Lozano said last week he wants candidates to be familiar with the elections code.
"I will make sure that this is a clean election, and that this isn't a race to get someone disqualified on violations," Lozano said.
