SGA election candidates met yesterday with election commissioners to address recent grievances filed and to decide the fate of the M.A.C. party.
In a decision e-mailed at 6 p.m., Election Commissioner Kenneth Taylor announced that the elections would continue as scheduled, and the M.A.C. party will remain on the ballot.
The meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, but commissioners said it was moved to yesterday afternoon in an attempt to alleviate some of the confusion during election week.
During the meeting, SGA election commissioners heard both party's arguments and granted them equal amounts of time to speak publicly about the recent grievances filed by the A.G.E.N.C.Y. party.
The grievance that took center stage at the meeting was filed against the M.A.C. party Monday morning by SGA president Gionni Carr. The grievance stated that members of the M.A.C. party had violated election laws by failing to produce all of the information required for an election petition. The grievance states that the M.A.C. party failed to produce accompanying signatures to go along with the names and e-mail addresses of 95 students on the petition required to qualify for election. The five-page petition included names, signatures and e-mail addresses for more than 150 students on the initial three pages but neglected to include signatures on the final two pages.
Election commissioner Kenneth Taylor said that the intent of the law was to obtain enough information to ensure that the petition is not fraudulent.
"I don't think they are fraudulent or false. They just don't count," Carr said.
Election commissioners also addressed a grievance filed by Carr on March 28 regarding the use of University of Memphis logos displayed in a candidate's promotional materials in violation of election laws. The grievance said the logo was used by M.A.C candidate Abby Hagan as well as several members of her campaign staff on more than one occasion.
Hagan said she had no control over the use of the images.
"This picture was taken prior to my campaign and was used without my knowledge by a supporter," said Hagan. "The pictures are still up. I believe it violates no election laws. It's just supporters supporting."
Carr said election laws also apply to third party endorsers, saying that anyone acting or campaigning on a candidate's behalf must abide by the election laws.
"When you make that correlation, it makes it look like you are supported by The University as a whole," Carr said. "I'm simply asking that election laws be upheld."
In their e-mailed decision, election commissioners said they "find the M.A.C. party guilty of all violations, with the exception of those caused by her supporters." They levied a $150 fee against the party that must be paid before they can take office.
