Allegations made Monday claim that a member of the Real Education Access Can Happen party was inappropriately campaigning for Associated Students of Madison elections at the Multicultural Student Center computer lab in the Red Gym.
UW-Madison junior Andy Sheean, a candidate for the College of Letters and Sciences representative through the Badger Party, said he was in the lab around 4 p.m. Monday when he was approached by a female with REACH party materials.
\I was approached by a girl who had one of REACH's little quarter-sheet flyers,"" he said. ""She gave me that and [asked if] I [had] considered voting,"" he said. ""[I replied], 'Yeah, but is this all right what you guys are doing?' and she said that as long as she wasn't a candidate on the slate then it was appropriate.""
However, Clara Janis, student election commission chair and UW-Madison senior, said that ASM election guidelines dispute the suggestion that a student would not be in violation if he or she was not running for office.
""If you are campaigning for yourself or campaigning for someone else, you cannot be within 100 feet of a polling site,"" she said. ""A polling site is considered any public access computer where you can vote online.""
Under those guidelines, campaigning in the MSC computer lab would be a violation.
Janis said she had been notified of the incident but did not want to comment on the situation at this time.
""I don't think it's in my best interest to disclose information,"" she said.
Sheean said he had called Janis shortly after the alleged incident.
ASM candidates were clearly instructed on the guidelines of campaigning prior to the election commencing on Monday and representatives of the REACH party were surprised when told of the allegations.
""As far as I know, people on the REACH [platform] haven't been and know enough not to be campaigning in the Red Gym or close to polling sites,"" said Phil Ejercito, a UW-Madison senior and campaign coordinator for the REACH party.
Patricia Quijada, a UW-Madison graduate student, was the attendant at the MSC computer lab when the alleged incident occurred. She was adamant that nothing happened which was not in compliance with the rules.
""I'm right here at the front desk,"" she said. ""I didn't see anything at all. Those [allegations] are all false as far as I what I saw'definitely false.""
However, Sheean insists that the discrepancy did occur.
""I'm sorry if she is adamant that this didn't happened, but it most certainly did,"" he said.
""I don't want to look like I'm just complaining about something. I think it's unfortunate.""
ASM elections began Monday and run through April 10. Students can vote online at http://www.vote.asm.wisc.edu.
