[1154] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
ticket decision (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (B. Yuksel)
Thu Mar 14 02:37:22 2002
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Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.4.40.0203140212460.10075-100000@ml.media.mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 02:21:22 -0500
From: "B. Yuksel" <barisy@MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
To: MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.30L.0203140212080.12718-100000@nerd-xing.mit.edu>
I thought this country is the cradle of democracy.
I thought when there is voting, my vote counts. I think throwing
away my vote is a discrimination againt me as a student, against
my rights at MIT as an undergrad.
Who is the highest committee I can appeal against this decision
of Election Committee?
baris
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 01:41:51 -0500
> From: Helen Lee <helenlee@MIT.EDU>
> To: rhett@sub-zero.MIT.EDU, vbrar@MIT.EDU
> Cc: ua-elect@MIT.EDU, ua-candidates@MIT.EDU, ua-all@MIT.EDU,
> ua-announce@MIT.EDU, ua-judboard@MIT.EDU, mit-talk@MIT.EDU,
> mit-tech@MIT.EDU, ec-discuss@MIT.EDU
> Subject: Creighton/Brar ticket decision
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> There has been a lot of controversy about the UAP/UAVP elections this
> year. As the UA Election Commissioner, I'd like to share some
> clarifications as well as new information.
>
> The Election Commission has reviewed Dan Liston's communications to the
> public and to Rhett and feels that they were inappropriate. I asked Dan to
> resign from the Rules Board, and have recommended that Swapna Panuganti replace
> him as Chair of the Rules Board.
>
> We have also reviewed the issue at hand - the Creighton/Brar ticket
> offering $10 to each person that places them first on the ballot. After
> much discussion (which was not, alas, reflected in Dan's emails) the
> Election Commission and Rules Board have come to a consensus that offering
> bribes to students that vote for them is unethical and against the spirit
> of the election rules and the UA Constitution. Regardless of where they
> would obtain the money, they are using money to pay for votes all the same.
>
> As has been pointed out, there is no specific rule in the Election Code or
> Campaign Rules that says that offering voters money for their vote is a
> violation. Apparently at least this basic rule that should have been there
> was neglected. However, the rules are only the minimal explicit set of
> rules to guide the Commission and Rules Board and say so explicitly. When
> we make decisions we are supposed to consider the spirit of the elections
> as well as the published rules.
>
> The Commission and Rules Board believes that our central purpose is to
> maintain the integrity of the election and the campaign. Allowing
> candidates to offer bribes to voters seriously compromises this integrity
> and is also obviously contrary to basic democratic principles.
>
> The decision of the Election Commission and Rules Board is that the
> Creighton/Brar ticket, because of their public offers to bribe students for
> their votes, are disqualified from the election. All votes for them will
> be awarded to the next preferences chosen on each ballot.
>
> We have no official opinion on the appropriateness of using the Bush fund
> for this or any other purpose.
>
> We have no official opinion on the appropriateness of promising a certain
> amount of money to every undergraduate (a 'refund') regardless of how he or
> she votes.
>
> I encourage everyone to think about this issue seriously and thank those
> that have been doing so. I realize that we have made mistakes but we are
> doing our best to remedy them.
>
> To Rhett and Victor - I know that the decision above is not stated in
> official terms with citations and such. I apologize - I do not have
> experience in writing such statements - but we felt it was important to
> distribute this information quickly and clearly. If you would like to
> appeal this decision, as I anticipate you will, please email the UA
> Judicial Review Board (ua-judboard@mit.edu) with the details of your appeal.
>
> To everybody - if you would like to discuss previous emails from the
> Election Commission or Rules Board, or this email, I urge you to speak to
> me personally. My phone number is 617.256.8121 and I will be in the UA
> office from 2:30-4pm tomorrow (Thursday). If neither of those works for
> you, please email me and we can arrange a time to talk.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Helen Lee
> UA Election Commissioner
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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