These are the current fines of all SGA slates running for election:
Empower: $125
Elevate $100
United: $50
The Student Government Association (SGA) Elections Board released its findings on hearings held Thursday and Sunday and determined Empower, Elevate and United would receive fines.
Previously, Empower received a $50 fine for campaigning early on its social media. Now, it has been fined an additional $25 for not registering the alumni asked to design the slate's logo as a volunteer at the Nomination Convention and another $50 fine for violating the rule on conducting "disruptive behavior" in Bracken Library, bringing the total to $125 in fines.
The Elections Board received a video that showed presidential candidate Julian Simmerman campaigning at the library near computers.
“Library policy, per the Guidelines and Policies page on Bracken’s website, prohibits ‘disruptive behavior’ and ‘soliciting and proselytizing,’” according to second hearing documents.
The statement said Empower said it was informing students about the upcoming elections, not soliciting votes.
Empower was also accused of setting up brochures in table tents in the Atrium, which is a violation of the election’s code. Empower said in the statement that someone else had put the brochures there.
“The Elections Board finds it unlikely that someone would collect numerous flyers from Empower 2019 and put them in table tents on tables across the Atrium in an effort to frame the slate. Even so, there is no definitive proof that Empower 2019 placed the flyers in inappropriate places around the Atrium,” according to second hearing documents.
Previously, the board found Empower had not committed any intentional trademark violations in the board meeting on Thursday, after it was discovered Empower's logo was deemed similar to another company's.
Elevate was fined $100 for their use of the Ball State logo without getting permission from Ball State. According to the official statement, Elevate never sought the university's permission. The logo appeared in a post on the slate’s Twitter naming the six standing SGA committees and the five caucuses.
Cameron DeBlasio, vice presidential nominee, said that Elevate understood it committed a violation, but that the slate was “a little surprised” that the fine was $100.
“We’ve [Elevate] kind of discussed ways to go about having a discussion with them [Elections Board] about how they came to that number,” DeBlaisio said after the hearing.
United has been fined a total of $50 for early campaigning on a social media page.
“Previous slates have been fined for posting profile and/or cover photos on social media before the close of the Nomination Convention. Previous slates have been fined $50 for early campaigning on social media, regardless of whether their accounts were private or not,” according to documents from the second hearing.
Contact Charles Melton with comments at cwmelton@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Cmelton144.
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