RHA documents detail election code violations

The Hoosier Compass ticket violated seven election codes during the Residence Halls Association elections March 3, according to an RHA Elections Commission document.

The violations resulted in a re-election and the disqualification of a member of one of the tickets.

A document obtained Tuesday by the Indiana Daily Student states the Elections Commission agreed with seven of 10 complaints filed by the Chuck Norris ticket against Hoosier Compass.

The document also stated the commission found “no merit” in two complaints filed by Hoosier Compass, which related to postings on a blog kept by junior Aaron Collins, presidential candidate for the Chuck Norris ticket.

The Elections Commission disqualified sophomore Katherine Lambert, the Hoosier Compass’ candidate for vice president of programming, after it determined she violated an elections code that states “no publicly visible campaigning or campaign materials are within fifty (50) feet of the polling place.”

The Hoosier Compass ticket has contested her disqualification, and an RHA Judicial Board hearing will take place later today to determine the outcome.

“We believe that the Elections Commission’s decision concerning the pending disqualification of Katherine Lambert was determined using incomplete and insufficient evidence,” the Hoosier Compass ticket said in a statement Tuesday night. “We trust the RHA Judicial Board will render an unbiased and accurate decision on Wednesday.”

Elections commissioner and current RHA President Eric Gibson said Tuesday he was confident the judicial board’s decision would be the last word.

“Tomorrow will be the end of this awful situation,” he said.

According to the “Chuck Norris vs. Hoosier Compass” document, Gibson saw Lambert sitting next to the Read polling station talking with a poll worker.

The same document states that Lambert was seen by election commissioners senior Erica Wiley and sophomore Jess Meyer “escorting the ballot box” with the Read elections commissioner, Christian Porod, to the Residential Programs and Services Building at 801 N. Jordan Ave.

The document also states that Lambert was hanging up Hoosier Compass posters, in violation of Read’s posting policy.

With all of this evidence, the commission determined  Lambert was in violation of the elections code that states, “All campaigning for RHA elections shall take place in an orderly, responsible manner and in accordance with all University, Community Council and other applicable regulations.”

Also, the election commissioners decided that this evidence warranted a new election at Read, according to the document.

Elections commissioners declined to comment about Lambert until after RHA’s judicial board hearing today.

In a separate complaint to the commission, members of the Hoosier Compass ticket said they felt “threatened” by a blog post authored by Collins. In an entry dated Feb. 5, Collins wrote, “I’m pretty worried about the election, actually. If I lose, shit’s going to get real.”

Collins said the Hoosier Compass ticket misinterpreted the post.

“I was using common slang to explain how my situation would worsen to a point that I would prefer not to be in,” Collins said Tuesday.

Collins said that without receiving this position his financial situation will worsen to the point where he would have to take a break from school for at least a semester to deal with issues.

RHA presidents receive free housing.

“The wording was questionable and not something that needed to be written about RHA, and it was searchable,” said senior Jessica Schul, presidential candidate for the Hoosier Compass ticket. “If we wrote something about Chuck Norris, there might have been a different outcome.” 

Collins said that he is not only running for president for the financial aspect but also because he cares about RHA.

“It’s upsetting that the election crossed into my personal life,” Collins said.

The election commissioners disagreed with the ticket but told Collins to “choose his words more carefully in the future,” to put his blog on a private setting for the remainder of the election and to no longer put his personal views of the elections on his blog.

The document also sheds light on problems at Ashton Center, which, along with Read, Briscoe Quad and Willkie Quad, will have new elections Thursday.

In addition to a lack of advertising, the document stated ballots were not available in Ashton for six of nine hours the polls were open, resulting in an outcome that “does not accurately reflect the true voice of the Ashton residents.”

Gibson said Ashton’s lack of publicity was unintended.