Three students have filed grievances against ASUO Executive candidates Ashley Rees and Jael Anker-Lagos alleging they violated Oregon and ASUO election
rules, including those governing campaigning in the residence halls and intimidating voters. But the elections board dismissed one of the grievances in a ruling Thursday and one of the students told the Emerald he no longer wants to pursue the allegations he made.
Rees said some campaigning rules weren’t clear and refuted two of the grievances, saying they contained inaccurate accusations.
“In general, I think that we had a few miscommunications about what the rules were, and once we were informed about a rule we instantly complied,” she said.
Elections Coordinator Kelly Cheeseman said the board is reviewing the remaining grievances and will likely rule on them
before 5 p.m. today when the primary election ends.
The board can’t release election results until all grievances are resolved, according to election rules.
ASUO presidential candidate and current ASUO Student Senator Nick Hudson filed one of the grievances Wednesday, alleging representatives of Rees and Anker-Lagos’ campaign violated state laws when they “harassed” students to vote in the EMU, using laptops and signs near incidental-fee funded computers to encourage students to vote.
“I believe that it is intimidation harassment to have voters vote on laptops with candidates breathing down one’s shoulder,” he wrote in the grievance. “A voter could be intimated to vote for that candidate.”
Hudson cited an Oregon Revised Statute that prohibits “undue influence” of voters, which says no person “shall directly or indirectly” induce a person to vote in any particular manner.
Hudson said in the grievance he wanted to stop the Rees-Anker-Lagos ticket from campaigning in the EMU with computers and “stop campaigning for duration of primaries (because) of violation of Oregon State Law.”
The ruling states the ticket did not violate ASUO election rules, saying there is no rule against using laptops and that the ticket didn’t violate EMU scheduling rules.
“The Elections Board would like to encourage all candidates to rightfully use this resource, so long as students are being respected throughout the voting procedures,” according to the ruling. “Moreover, any student has the right to pass upon using a voting booth that is run by a campaign.”
Cheeseman said ASUO elections are “not necessarily liable
to follow state regulations” regarding elections.
But Hudson told the Emerald that while he predicted the grievance would be denied, it is still
his “firm belief” that using laptops
is intimidating and that the ticket
is using “very shady” means of campaigning.
“The reason I wanted to do it is because I wanted the University to know that this is very shady and this is what could happen in the future,” he said.
Hudson said he isn’t sure where to appeal because election rules dictate he could appeal to ASUO President Adam Petkun, but Petkun has actively campaigned for the Rees-Anker-Lagos ticket.
“Unfortunately, this year the Exec. has decided to be partial,” he said.
Petkun said he delegated all authority to Vice President Mena Ravassipour to handle election matters so he could become involved.
“I have absolutely no authority over the elections board right now,” he said.
Rees said the rule Hudson cited was not accurate and denied the allegations of voter intimidation.
“That one we’re not as concerned about,” she said.
Student Senate Seat 8 candidate Kyle McKenzie filed a grievance Thursday alleging the ticket was campaigning in Bean Complex on Wednesday night, violating campaign rules.
“I heard a number of complaints from residents as well as myself,” he wrote.
Rees said the person who was campaigning was an “inexperienced person who was not at that time
affiliated with our campaign”
and who talked to people “without our permission.”
She said volunteers have been informed not to do that and that it “will not happen again.”
University housing policies included in the 2005 election rules prohibit candidates from “commercial solicitation, advertising, promotions and commercial transactions” in the residence halls.
Freshman Michael Waymire also filed a grievance Wednesday, alleging that he saw Rees and Anker-Lagos campaigning in eating areas of Hamilton. But Waymire told the Emerald on Thursday evening he no longer wanted to pursue the grievance after he found out it was public record.
Cheeseman said that while no rule against campaigning in residence hall dining areas exists in writing, candidates were verbally informed at mandatory candidate meetings that they should not
campaign in those areas.
“That’s like their kitchen,” she said. “We should be respectful in those areas.”
But she said the board will consider that the rule was not written when making its decision.
Rees said Anker-Lagos was not present at the dining area and that the rule was unclear because it was not in writing.
“Once we were asked to leave, we immediately did,” she said. “What’s happened, especially in that one, is there has not been a clear communication of the rules. Once we found out what the rules were, we immediately complied because we understand rules are very important.”
Waymire also filed a grievance questioning whether members
of the Student Action League should be allowed to include the acronym SAL next to their names on
DuckWeb.
Cheeseman said the grievance would have to be submitted to the Constitution Court because it involved the board.
Waymire told the Emerald
he would not file a grievance with the court.

[email protected]