IUSA elections commission hears formal complaint against Big Ten

Following its victory Wednesday night, the Big Ten ticket has been accused by BtownUnited of committing seven violations of the IUSA elections code, thus influencing the final outcome of the elections.

BtownUnited is calling for disqualification of the Big Ten ticket, as it believes the charges against Big Ten are “materially contributory to the outcome of the election,” as stated in section 605 of the IUSA elections code.

A public hearing was held before the IUSA elections commission Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to confirm the facts of the complaint and allow both sides to make statements.

Five accusations were brought against president-elect Justin Kingsolver’s Big Ten ticket Wednesday, all of which centered around violation of section 304 of the IUSA election code, which states that “Tickets shall not set up tables for the purposes of collecting votes outside a legitimate, reserved outdoor location approved by the SAO.”

BtownUnited has alleged that Big Ten solicited votes at the Wells Library bus stop, the alley between the art museum and the HPER, areas near the Hutton Honors college, outside of Foster’s Gresham food court and at the Jordan Hall bus stop, according to statements and photographs in the BtownUnited complaint.

BtownUnited’s Neil Kelty and Barrett Tenbarge stated these locations were not able to be reserved in accordance with Student Activities Office policy.

Justin Kingsolver responded to the complaints, saying that his ticket did not knowingly violate any election codes and acted “in good faith” to rectify potential violations by having volunteers leave disputed locations and remove tables that were not at approved voting locations.

BtownUnited presented an updated accusation list Thursday at about 4 p.m., which included an additional accusation of illegal voter solicitation near Kilroy’s, as well as a charge that a Big Ten volunteer finished voting for a student after she left her ballot to catch a bus.

Big Ten attested to the ethical character of the volunteer accused of voter fraud and stated that the photographic evidence supporting the Kilroy’s accusation shows “no verifiable evidence” that the subject in question is a Big Ten volunteer.

“If that hadn’t happened, would the outcome have changed?” Kingsolver asked members of the elections commission.

He believes not, citing Big Ten’s victory of close to 1800 votes.

Tenbarge stated the number of violations shows Big Ten’s “pattern of disregard for the IUSA elections code,” and referred to the call for disqualification “a sad, but unavoidable result.”

The elections commission will convene today at 1 p.m. to further discuss the case and will make a ruling during the afternoon or early evening.