The Daily Cardinal
Monday, 10 April 2006
ASM referenda results overturned
Written by Sam-Omar Hall
The Student Judiciary nullified the results of last week’s postponed Associated Students of Madison referenda, overturning an affirmative vote on a wage increase for union workers and a vote that struck down union renovation plans.
The development increasingly complicates a student election season already racked with electronic mishaps, missing ballots and allegations of electoral impropriety.
ASM chair Eric Varney and three other students formally challenged the election results Saturday on the grounds that 436 uncounted votes amounted to a violation of voters’ due process.
Varney said he did not to expect the judiciary to rule in his favor because the initiatives were both decided by more than 436 votes, but he also gave other reasons for the opposition to the election outcome.
“I wasn’t happy with the results. That sounds Machiavellic—but no—I took it up because they didn’t count 436 people’s votes, so every single guy that’d be allowed to vote and have their vote counted,” he said. “Democracy.”
Students turned out in record numbers last week to support the Living Wage Initiative, sponsored by the Student Labor Action Coalition. SLAC has been fighting for the plan, which mandated that workers at the student unions, University Health Services and Recreational Sports receive at least $10.23 an hour.
“We were disappointed by this ruling,” said SLAC member and strong Living Wage-advocate Josh Healy.
The decision marks another setback for last week’s already-postponed ASM elections. Paper balloting for ASM candidates is set to begin today after technical problems halted last week’s election and the first attempt at ASM elections the week before.
The ruling could result in less voter turnout overall according to ASM Shared Governance Chair Hannah Longrie.
“People voted two times already. They’re tired of the e-mails,” she said. “How many people are going to vote a third time?”
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