In an election marked by contention, Gavin Keirans was declared UPUA president in a landslide victory late last night -- though last-minute campaign violations could have disqualified him entirely.

Keirans (sophomore-business administration) and running mate Valarie Russell (junior-political science) garnered 2,217 votes out of the total 4,291, which accounted for about 52 percent of the total votes in yesterday's University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) elections.

However, two last-minute campaign violations filed against Keirans by presidential duo Pete Sowa and Matt Sabo's campaign sent the UPUA Elections Hearing Board into a series of appeals that delayed the release of vote totals and threw Keirans' election into question after the vote totals were announced.

Keirans was found not guilty on both violations.

"The appeals board might have had ulterior motives because they had candidates disqualified in the past, so they needed to make this look like a fair election," said Barrett Fisher (sophomore-science), campaign manager for Sowa and Sabo.

The Blue Band duo, Sowa (sophomore-finance and economics) and Sabo (sophomore-economics), who placed second with 804 votes, would not comment on the violations.

The first violation concerned a line in Keirans' campaign video stating that "many of my other candidates -- they only represent one issue." The violation alleged that the statement violated a clause in the UPUA elections code that forbids candidates from "willingly and/or knowingly distorting another candidate's platform or view to others."

The second violation alleged that Keirans had taken advantage of a discount price on campaign T-shirts that was not available to the general public, which the UPUA elections code requires. However, Keirans presented evidence that the T-shirts' price was available to all Penn State students, which the UPUA elections commission had previously accepted as valid.

Had Keirans been found guilty of the violation, his campaign would have been docked $284 in fines, which would decrease his $600 campaign spending limit, putting him over the limit and automatically disqualifying him.

Keirans was disqualified as a presidential candidate last year for surpassing campaign-spending limits.

"Valarie and I are so excited to have the humble opportunity to represent the student body," Keirans said after the rulings, adding that he has "absolutely no hard feelings" about the violations that threw his win into question.

Vote totals in this year's election were 1,645 fewer than last year's total of 5,936.

UPUA Head Elections Commissioner Jon Lozano (senior-political science) said the lower turnout may be because public polling places in East Halls were left unmanned today.

After hearing the final results announcement, Sowa joked that he was "very excited about winning."

"Obviously, we would have liked more," he added "but that's the way things go."

Sowa and Sabo were not present in Alumni Hall when the preliminary results were announced, something that Safeguard Old State Director of Advocacy Initiatives Tom Shakely called "very peculiar."

Sowa said he and Sabo remained in the room for the violation hearing, where the results were announced to them at the same time as they were in Alumni Hall.

Coming in third place with 759 votes was Dan Kennedy (junior-history) and running mate Drew Baron (junior-biochemistry and molecular biology).

"I'm definitely glad that since we didn't win, Gavin won," Kennedy said. "He's a pretty solid kid, and I think he'll make a pretty solid president."

Kennedy also said if Keirans asks him to be a member of his cabinet, he would accept.

"I think he's got a lot of good ideas, so I think he'll do pretty well," Kennedy said of Keirans. "He definitely deserves to get to be the next president."

Jordan Cascino (junior-communication arts and sciences) placed last along with running mate Miatta Massaley (sophomore-economics), earning 440 votes.

"This is a very important time for UPUA. I hope [Keirans] believes everything that he says," Cascino said. "But I would find it hard to believe for him to be as involved as he is and not mean what he says."

Massaley announced she would run for UPUA president next year.

-- Collegian staff writer Stephanie Schomer contributed to this report.