Despite the best efforts of the Student Government Association, the Elections Board and the one slate that showed up this year's nomination convention suffered a fate similar to last year's.
Unlike last year, a slate showed up to the convention, but the Elections Board decided the slate's election packet did not meet all the requirements. Like last year, a second convention will be held.
Elections Chair Marco Pretell-Vazquez said some of the 400 student signatures the slate was required to gather, along with addresses and phone numbers, were unverifiable. After the board looked at the slate's election packet it decided some signatures didn't have all of the additional information, he said, and some of those signatures "did not appear genuine."
The slate's campaign manager Kyle Ellis said the four slate members were responsible for gathering the signatures. He looked at them briefly before the convention, he said, but didn't examine them further.
Pretell-Vazquez said the board decided by a majority vote to hold a second nomination convention Thursday at 7 p.m., when the vice presidential and presidential debates were originally scheduled. The slate has until then to gather 400 signatures.
Ellis said the slate is already in the process of verifying the signatures. The slate may or may not use the same 400 students, he said, but it would have all of them by Thursday.
"It's going to be an inconvenience," he said, "but it won't be an impossible task by any means. We see this as an opportunity to get a couple extra days of practice before getting out on the campaign trail."
Pretell-Vazquez said the slate was compliant and accepted the board's decision. The Elections Board hadn't considered this scenario when planning the convention. The board was disappointed that it had to hold another convention, he said.
But the board's first priority is to ensure the election process is done correctly, fairly and legitimately, he said, so it is giving the slate a chance to come back with the election packet completed.
Ellis said the slate understood the Elections Board's decision and knows it has to run a fair election.
"The slate is very much eager to get out and present their platform to students," he said.
SGA President Frank Hood said he was disappointed upon hearing the board's decision, but glad to see at least one slate show up. He said he hoped the slate would use the time to fix its problem.
Pretell-Vazquez said other slates also have the opportunity to meet the requirements by Thursday and run for elections.
Hood said the need for a second convention won't affect the election process if a second slate doesn't show up. He said he would rather see the election process feature at least two slates.
"I think that's an exciting thing for the university," Hood said, "so I really hope someone steps up."
Pretell-Vazquez said an open forum with the slate will take the place of the debates unless another slate comes forward.
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