Parties clash over student ballots

Local politicians continue to argue over the controversy surrounding more than 200 absentee ballot requests of IU students.\nMatt Stevenson, Republican City Clerk candidate and an IU junior, held a news conference Friday and criticized Democrats for their intimidation tactics against IU student voters.\n"The right of every eligible citizen to vote in our country is one of our most important rights," Stevenson said. "If any attempt is made to harass or intimidate voters, it puts the very foundations of our society in jeopardy."\nStevenson said the Republican Party received reports at the end of last week suggesting an organized attempt was made to threaten student voters. Although Stevenson acknowledged not having evidence to prove the Democrats have been harassing students, he said the Democrats are creating a hostile environment for student voters. \n"The Democrats have focused their hostility toward just one segment of the student population," he said. "Politics can be dirty and I'm all for a nice competition, but (harassing voters) is definitely crossing the line."\nAt Friday's news conference, the only instance of a harassing phone call the Republicans cited was an interview request by an IDS reporter made to Acacia vice president Tyson Chastain.\nDemocratic Party chairman Dan Combs said the lack of evidence Republicans have brought forward has led him to believe manipulation is involved.\n"They have given no proof to back up their accusations," Combs said. "Students are being taken advantage of by very unscrupulous Republican operatives."\nIU College Republicans Chairman, Angel Rivera said he has heard of several reports in which students received "harassing phone calls," but he said he is unsure of exact nature of the conversations.\n"There have definitely been calls made to more than one of the greek houses (where absentee ballots were requested)," Rivera said. "I'm not sure exactly how many, but even one is unacceptable." \nStevenson's accusations at Friday's conference occurred one day after Republican Party chairman Marty Stephens called a news conference where he also spoke out against Democrats -- specifically Stevenson's Democratic competitor Regina Moore -- claiming the party is trying to disenfranchise student voters.\nThe issue of conflict centers around 250 requests for mail-in ballots IU students applied for due to work-related conflicts, which would keep then from the polls on election day. But suspicions about the legitimacy of the ballot requests arose last week when Democrats said the applications appeared to have been submitted by the same person or a politically motivated group.\nCombs said the accusations of the Democrats harassing student voters are attempts by the Republicans to deflect attention from the fact they cheated.\n"(The Republicans) got caught cheating and now they're trying to hide it," he said. "No one is harassing students. No one wants students to stay away from the polls. But we don't want hundreds of ballots mailed out in false pretenses."\nThe decision as to whether the remaining requests for absentee ballots will be sent out to students will be made at a hearing tonight at the Justice Building. A three-person panel consisting of County Clerk Jim Fielder and a representative from the Democratic and Republican parties will decide on the matter.\nRegardless of the judgment made during tonight's hearing, Combs said the possibility of challenging the mail-in votes could still be an option. If ineligible ballots are cast, and those votes swing the decision in the election, Combs said the Democrats would have reason to challenge the election. A challenge could potentially nullify the election. \n-- Contact senior writer Colin Kearns at cmkearns@indiana.edu.