Student Government Association's elections board accepted two presidential slates and rejected one at Monday's nomination convention.
Matt Parker and his slate turned in about half of the application's 400 required signatures. Elizabeth Stephan, vice-presidential candidate on Parker's slate, said the elections code is not clear in the difference between nominees and candidates.
"We knew there was going to be some confusion because we didn't have all of the signatures," Stephan said, "but we were verbally nominated."
The code states that nominees become candidates after they turn in the required signatures. Stephan said the slate gathered the remaining signatures after the convention.
"We thought it'd be no problem the way it was stated in the elections code," Stephan said.
Elections board chairman Joe Flores said a slate needs its signatures before it's recognized. Flores said the Parker slate will have to go through the judicial court's appeal process.
"Right now, they're not included in the election," Flores said.
Parker said he and Stephan plan to fill out the paperwork today at 8 a.m. Stephan said she hopes to fix the problem and enter the race as soon as possible, especially before ballots are posted Feb. 23.
"It's only a two-week period," Stephan said. "We want to start campaigning and get our name out there."
Heading the two other slates are current SGA president Jayson Manship and vice president Ben Tietz. Each had a Web site running and 25 people posting flyers by the end of nominations.
Manship said he plans to have 1,500 flyers around campus today.
His fellow candidates are Meghan Newlund for vice president, Jared Carey for secretary and Sarah Atkinson for treasurer. Atkinson said participating in the election gives her another chance to step up in a leadership position.
"I really believe in what the slate has to offer," Atkinson said.
Atkinson is also student representative on the presidential search committee. Stephan said she understands why some people might see Atkinson's running as a conflict of interest.
"She's a professional enough person not to let it get in the way," Stephan said.
For his slate, Tietz selected Olofunmbi Elemo for vice president, Kathy Spenos for secretary and Matthew Filer for treasurer. Tietz said his slate will push for more communication between SGA and other organizations.
"It's something that's been promised but hasn't been completed," Tietz said. "It's important to go back to organizations and see how we're doing and what we need to improve."
If officially recognized, the Parker slate will have Stephan, Aletha Dunston and Kari Graham. Stephan said she's not sure if the slate can participate in the presidential-vice presidential debate 8 p.m. Thursday in the Student Center's Forum Room.
"Hopefully, we'll get this figured out," Stephan said.
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