Due to the absence of several senate candidates at the senate election speeches on April 25, students found their ballots void of more than half of the candidates’ names who had previously campaigned for positions.

According to Associated Students of Southern Oregon University government bylaws, candidates who did not give a speech on Friday, April 25 had their names lifted from the ballot during election week. In order to vote for them, students had to write them in on the ballot.

Director of Student Communications Phil Shilts explained that this does not mean that senate candidates were ineligible for election.

"They were ineligible to be on the ballot because they did not follow bylaw procedures," Shilts said. There were ways for students to find out about the candidates without their name on the ballot. The Siskiyou student newspaper showcased the candidates, and the names were also put in the voter’s guide.

An all-campus e-mail sent out by Student Affairs on April 24 stated, "All ASSOU candidate speeches will be this Friday, April 25 at noon in the SU courtyard or in the SU foyer if it is raining." Students running for ASSOU senate also were told to attend a mandatory Election Committee meeting prior to the speeches, and those attending were told by Elections Committee Chair Shonti Tager when the speeches would be held. Still, many candidates were unaware of the timetable for the speeches.

Shilts commented that ASSOU made an effort to inform the student body who they could vote for.

"We at least attempted to get their names out," Shilts said. "It was clearly an issue for people to make it to their speech."

Tager commented that there was no notification to members of the Elections Committee, to whom candidates were subject, that students would be unable to participate.

"Nobody said they had a problem with the speech time," said Tager, who thought there were a mixture of reasons why students did not show up to give their speeches.

Members of the Election Committee met with Dean of Students Laura O’ Bryon and decided to remove candidates from the ballot.

"A group of senators not running for re-election voted unanimously to remove all candidates [from the ballot] that did not show up for their speeches," Shilts said.

The only person on the ballot who did not show up to give a speech at the stated time was Multicultural Senator Jackson McCormack. McCormack is running for vice president alongside ASSOU presidential hopeful Kelli Horvath.

"The reason why [Jackson and Kelli] weren’t removed from the ballot is that the only thing the bylaws specify is that candidates must give their speech in the same time and place," said Shilts.

McCormack and Horvath had given two speeches previously including a question and answer session. Other candidates who did not present speeches on April 25 or any other time specified by ASSOU was removed from the ballot.

Shilts admits candidates expressed frustration when told that their names would not be on the ballot. Candidates who were removed from the ballot due to violation of the bylaws were able to file a grievance to senate and must have done so by 5 p.m., Monday, May 5.

For further information on election bylaws, e-mail Liz Tafeen at tafeene@students.sou.edu or Shonti Tager at Tagers@students.sou.edu.