The Fall 2006 Associated Students of Madison election results will not be overturned after a case filed by the Student Labor Action Coalition against the ASM Student Judiciary was dismissed Tuesday.
The results from the Fall 2006 general elections will be officially certified at the next Student Judiciary meeting.
SLAC petitioners argued a case in front of the Student Judiciary Nov. 8, claiming ""inequitable placements of polling locations, voting times and lack of absentee ballots all amounted to voter suppression and thus violated the laws of Associated Students Madison,"" according to Associate Justice Sol Grosskopf's statement, which declared the ASM elections were run in a fair and open manner.
UW-Madison junior and Chief Justice Josh Tyack concurred with Grosskopf's statement.
""While it would be nice to have a polling site in every corner of campus open for 12 hours of each day of the election, to do so would be unfeasible,"" Tyack said, noting the expense of paying poll workers and ASM's strict budget requirements. ""The SEC is charged with responsibly running an election, and part of that responsibility is a fiscal responsibility towards the use of Student Segregated Fees.""
""There should be some option for everyone to be able to cast a vote,"" UW-Madison graduate student and SLAC member Mark Supanich said, referring to the fact that ASM did not publicize the availability of absentee ballots.
Groskopf referenced this concern in his statement.
""While we do agree that an absentee ballot provision should find a place among the election bylaws, presently it does not,"" he wrote. ""Although no information provided by the SEC announced the use of absentee ballots, there was nothing to prevent electors from requesting the use of one.""
After failing to win the case, Supanich implied SLAC would continue to monitor the election process.
""One definite action would be to work with SEC to ensure further elections are truly open and equitable and fair,"" Supanich said.
""Although SJ is looking into writing in an absentee ballot procedure, I don't think there is any pressing need for anything else to change,"" SEC chair and UW-Madison junior Leah Moe said.
