Members of the University Park Undergraduate Association have decided against attempting to push through a new elections code and the 2013 election will instead by governed by last year’s elections code.
UPUA elections take place during the 12th week of the academic year and the assembly considered revisions to its elections code last week.
Internal Development Committee Chair Dray Krishnan introduced the revised elections code to the assembly last week — the new code was changed to be more streamlined than the previous document. Changes included a mandatory “Meet the Candidate” session.
Krishnan said Monday that he met with leaders from the Steering Committee to discuss the proposed changes and “decided it wasn’t in the best interest of the assembly to try to push it through.”
Krishnan also said that the revision of the code would be a “task to take on earlier” if the Internal Development Committee decided to change the code in the future.
“With registration starting [Feb.] 18th, the ID committee just felt like there was not ample time to fully consider the new code so they have decided it is safer to just use the existing code and make small changes to it rather than implementing a whole new code this elections season,” UPUA President Courtney Lennartz said via email.
Lennartz also said there are plans to amend the UPUA bylaws to stipulate that the Internal Development committee must review or amend the elections code in the fall semester so the assembly is given adequate time to review the code.
The agenda for this week’s meeting is not yet available, but Chair of the Assembly Spencer Malloy said via email that the only likely “issue” on the meeting’s agenda will be in revising the elections code and approving commissioners for the election.
During last week’s meeting, Off-Campus Rep. Anthony Christina felt members were not given enough time to review the code and it was more important to focus on upcoming elections rather than revising the code. Christina said he felt using the old code would be satisfactory.
In previous years, there have been problems with the elections code. It is not unusual for the assembly to make modifications to the code. Last year’s assembly amended the code that is currently in place and will be used for the upcoming year.
Last year’s code was changed to reflect the eligibility requirements for candidates. The current code now states that candidates must complete two fall and spring semesters as full-time students to be considered eligible to run for the position of president or vice president.
Students running for any other office must complete one semester as a full-time student.
