INtouch for IUSA currently has the most votes following Amplify, but the election commission has not officially determined which ticket has won the election.
Before accounting for infractions, Amplify for IUSA received 3,574 votes, initially winning the ?election.
INtouch for IUSA came in second with 2,697 votes and UNIFY for IUSA came in third with 1,994 votes.
After accounting for infractions, Amplify for IUSA lost 11.5 percent of its votes, still winning the election.
INtouch for IUSA lost 7.1 percent of its votes, and UNIFY for IUSA lost none.
Amplify for IUSA, however, failed to include branded T-shirts and a miniature pony in its total campaign expenditures.
After speaking with Amplify for IUSA and relevant third parties, the election commission determined the items were left off because the T-shirts were donated for free, and the pony was provided in exchange for 10 hours of community service at Agape Therapeutic Riding Center, according to the election commission’s official decision.
According to the election code, total campaign expenditures may not exceed total campaign contributions, and may not exceed $3,000.
When determining the value of a campaign expenditure, tickets must assess the fair market value of the campaign expenditure.
The election code defines a campaign expenditure as “any purchase or donation which is used for promoting any candidate or ticket.”
Amplify for IUSA also failed to list the shirts and pony in its final financial ?statement.
According to the election code, tickets must submit a final financial statement by 5 p.m. the day after the ?election.
Because elections occurred Wednesday and Thursday, tickets must have submitted their final financial statements by 5 p.m. last ?Friday.
The election code defines a financial statement as an itemized list of all campaign contributions, an itemized list of all campaign expenditures and receipts for all campaign ?expenditures.
The election commission determined the fair market value of the shirts to be $1,023 and the pony to ?be $350.
Amplify for IUSA received $2,541.20 in campaign donations and, before accounting for the shirts and pony, spent less than the ticket received in campaign contributions.
After accounting for the shirts and pony, however, the ticket spent more than the ticket received in campaign contributions.
The ticket ended up with a budget of $3,959.60, according to the election ?commission decision.
According to the election code, tickets that spent more money than they ?received in campaign contributions, or that spent more than $3,000, are eligible for disqualification.
Amplify for IUSA ?exceeded both limits.
They also exceeded the campaign contribution limit from a single source, which can only be a maximum ?of $250.
The IUSA Supreme Court ruled on a similar case, The Crimson Elections Ticket and The Fusion Elections Ticket v. The Big Red Elections Ticket, in 2004, setting a precedent for the election commission’s decision.
Aparna Srinath, head of the election commission, said she expects an appeal to the Supreme Court.
“The election commission works to be unbiased and follow standardized and transparent rules,” ?she said.
